"Ableist, sizeist and ageist" cycling meme controversy; Dylan Groenewegen needed police protection after being sent death threats and a noose; Not Near Miss of the Day: Robot spots cyclist and doesn't pull out; "War against cars" + more on the live blog

This meme, which was first posted by the Facebook group 'Cycling Today: The Joy Division' at the weekend, is continuing to do the rounds on social media today. Including, of all places, in the Glasgow Critical Mass Facebook group which describes itself as: "An open group for everyone who believes that cycling is the best and most fun means of transport!" Unsurprisingly, some members have challenged the post for portraying "ableist" and "elitist" stereotypes.

One group admin justified it by saying: "No I showed the natural progression of man as he ages with his bikes, no fat shaming, ageism, no derogatory comments about the use of e-bikes. Lighten up."

Bo Mansell replied: "e-bikes make cycling more accessible for people who have mobility difficulties. This meme is both ableist and sizeist. Why would anyone attend CM when you represent it like this. I don't find it funny to alienate people from cycling based on their size, ability or indeed, age. It's only 'funny' if you're not on the receiving end of it."

Christopher Atkinson added: "Is it genuinely acceptable within this group to make ableist and ageist cycling jokes? Isn't the point of this group to promote inclusive cycling and road safety, how is this achieved by jokes like this?"

Thoughts?

Kiwi power!
Such a stunning jersey @Theflyingmullet has!
Photo: @BeelWout pic.twitter.com/1zmAUdZfV7

— Deceuninck-QuickStep (@deceuninck_qst) January 26, 2021

Hats off to @MailSport and @dpcoverdale for highlighting the fact that Covid-19 has given more of us a chance to get out on our bikes.

Strongly recommend the column by @Chris_Boardman. https://t.co/6pkPvVLrxg

— Scott Dougal (@scottdougal) January 26, 2021

A pullout promoting cycling in the Daily Mail...2021, you're already full of surprises... 

Dylan Groenewegen has told Dutch magazine Helden about the ugly fallout from his Tour of Poland crash with Fabio Jakobsen, which neither sprinter has yet returned to racing from. Groenewegen revealed he received multiple death threats and was sent a noose with a note telling him he should hang his unborn child. A police guard was posted at his house in the days after the crash.

"There were such concrete and serious threats that we called the police a few days after the crash,” Groenewegen told Helden magazine. "We received handwritten letters in the mail, which even included a noose that we could hang our child on when it would be born. When you read that message and see that piece of rope, you are shocked. That was the deciding factor for me that it could not continue like this.

"I went to the police and reported it. The police immediately took action after seeing those letters. That does reflect the seriousness of those threats. Of course that affects you. What happened here? How is this possible? What sick world do we live in?"

The Jumbo-Visma sprinter was suspended for nine months for his role in the crash which left Jakobsen in an induced coma in hospital with a fractured skull and serious facial injuries. Just last week Groenewegen's team released his initial race programme for 2021 as they try to ease him back into life in the peloton with some smaller European and WorldTour races. The 27-year-old is not expected to ride a Grand Tour in 2021 with the priority just to get him back on the start line.

One of Britain's oldest paperboys is still cracking on with his daily route having celebrated his 80th birthday over the weekend. George Bailey rides the same two-and-a-half-mile route around Headcorn in Kent each morning on his bike and says it helps keep him fit. Having received his coronavirus vaccination last week Bailey was in good spirits when he spoke to the BBC about his routine.

"It's to try and keep fit," Bailey explained. "Otherwise it would be at home, a little bit of gardening and I'm not one to go jogging at my age. So the bicycle keeps me fit. I wouldn't do it if I didn't enjoy it."

This is the kind of news we love!

Three-time winner of the event, @zdenekstybar will be at the start of the World Cyclo-cross Championships in Oostende: https://t.co/4bbx12Jgxk
Photo: @BeelWout pic.twitter.com/tgdJ1SJR4g

— Deceuninck-QuickStep (@deceuninck_qst) January 25, 2021

Three-time Cyclo-cross World Champion, Zdeněk Štybar has announced he'll return to his old stomping ground to race the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships this Sunday. The Czech, who rides for Deceuninck-Quick-Step, crossed over to road cycling in 2011 but will return for another shot at World Championship rainbow bands in Oostende.

On the decision he said: "It was not expected that I would ride the Worlds this year, but things have evolved. As we know this discipline is my passion, so after watching some races on television I felt in my stomach that I really wanted to race. It would not have normally fit in to my schedule, but things have changed and having done a lot of training my condition feels good."

One man who won't be racing is Fabio Aru. The Italian dipped his toe in the Cyclo-cross mud over the winter which led to speculation that he may take to the start line in Belgium. However, the 2015 Vuelta a España winner has agreed to leave the Italian squad's spaces available to younger specialists in the discipline. Aru will stay at Qhubeka-Assos' training camp instead.