"By a nose": Dylan Groenewegen has last laugh, wins Tour stage with bizarre 'aero beak' back on display; Sprinter bunny hops 60km/h crash; Bikes at polling stations; Cav reaction; Opinion split over Schwalbe's "revolutionary" valve + more on the live blog

> Tesco tells cyclist who complained about broken and blocked bike racks outside shop that "working racks are never full" and "not considered high priority"

Election day means one thing — bikes at polling stations!

🗳️ Riding to the polls today? Let's pedal together!

Share your photos of #BikesAtPollingStations with us and remember to tag us—and don't forget your ID! 🚲 pic.twitter.com/BttsIcgz2k

— Cycling UK (@WeAreCyclingUK) July 4, 2024

Get your photos in the comments, and if you're still undecided...

> General Election 2024 — What do the main parties promise for cycling and active travel? 

Around 90km to go on stage six, Lotto Dstny have just made the first (admittedly pretty half-hearted) attempt to stick it in the gutter and split the race in the crosswinds. The winds aren't particularly strong around Dijon, but the flat, open, straight roads look prime for echelon action. We've heard the team cars telling their riders to stay alert, it could be an exciting couple of hours.

Highlight of the day remains Mathieu van der Poel pulling off the coolest way to get on a bike I think I've ever seen. 10/10, no notes...

pic.twitter.com/u3ZQEqjJ4P

— Cycling out of context (@OutOfCycling) July 4, 2024

Writing on Instagram, Eddy Merckx congratulated Mark Cavendish for breaking his Tour de France stage wins record, The Cannibal calling it a "historical achievement" and saying it's "such a nice guy to break my record".

The Insta story has been shared on Axel Merckx's account too, so no doubts about the legitimacy of the words. Others, in an extremely on-brand move for cycling, used Strava, Remco Evenepoel calling it a "legendary day for cycling".

Michal Kwiatkowski wrote: "I am not crying, you are… Chapeau Mark Cavendish."

> "Bicycles are very narrow and they're not going to get wider": Councillors slam plans to widen "dangerous" cycle lane, asking "why are we spending money on things they don't use?"

He's had time to reflect on the events of yesterday, Mark Cavendish sprinting to victory on stage five of the Tour de France to finally break that stage-wins record. And what a sprint it was — weaving, darting, positional perfection and that all so familiar final burst.

In a release communicated by his Astana Qazaqstan team once the dust had settled, Cavendish admitted that even then it was "hard to fully grasp".

"We worked towards it, and as a team, we did everything possible to make it happen. We have an incredible team, and I have amazing teammates. Throughout not just this Tour de France but all this time, I felt immense support from the entire team, and today we have the moment to celebrate this success together.

"I am very happy to be part of Astana Qazaqstan Team, where I found friends and, essentially, an incredible family. Today, the team was magnificent, everything was done perfectly, and I managed to win. I believed in success, but the main thing is that the team believed in success, we were on the same wavelength and had a common goal. I received maximum support, and we purposefully worked towards the goal we achieved today."

> "Cycling's greatest ever sprinter": Reaction to Mark Cavendish's historic 35th Tour de France stage win

General Manager Alexandr Vinokurov added: "Few believed that we would succeed, that Mark's arrival in Astana Qazaqstan Team would change history, but we believed and did everything to make today's victory happen. We were close to this last year, but fate had other plans. I believe that real champions should not end their careers after a fall and injury, and I am happy that Mark decided to do another season in the end.

"But we are not going to stop; only five stages have passed, and most of the race is still ahead. We are ready, and we will continue to fight."

You might have missed it in the Cavendish chaos yesterday teatime, but Schwalbe reckons it has a "revolutionary" new valve that will be the cycling industry's new tyre inflation standard. Suvi heard all about it at Eurobike this week, the Clik valves promising: much easier attachment and operation, as well as no risk of air loss and 50 per cent more air flow rate. What's more, Schwalbe says it can be retrofitted to your existing valves with a conversion kit.

> RIP Presta and Schrader? Schwalbe reckons its "revolutionary" new Clik valve is set to become cycling's new tyre inflation industry standard

Us cyclists don't really get involved with endless debates about what tech is best. You'd never catch us arguing over, I don't know, something like disc brakes vs rim brakes... ah... or the merits of 1x... hmmm, I might need to rethink this. The news has prompted plenty of chatter among our readers, my favourite comment from Sredlums setting the mood early on before everyone had got to their keyboards...

"How is it possible no one has commented on this? It is the perfect set-up for a good fight. Presta fans and Schrader fans fighting [over] which valve should definitely needs no replacement, modernists versus traditionalists, Schwalbe fanboys versus haters, critical thinkers trying to find a design flaw… come on people, step up your game!"

Facetiousness aside, it is of course worth highlighting potential issues with Presta and Schrader, before looking at what Schwalbe says the Clik can address, that only seems like a sensible approach when weighing up claims about a new industry standard.

And while some will question the need to change, would a few more industry standards be a bad thing for cycling, a pursuit packed with so many part sizes and types that vary so marginally? If valves are one such part that would benefit from a standard is an altogether different question admittedly. Enough of my ramblings, let's dive into your thoughts.

IanMSpencer: "I think that the Presta valve is flawed, too easy to damage — loads of people bend the top when trying to pump with a mini-pump, and Schrader is too bulky for road wheels. So, if this is easier to use, and there is a reasonably cheap converter (which itself can be reused from valve or pump) then it's a yes from me."

brooksby: "xkcd did a cartoon years ago, along the lines of two scientists saying there are too many competing standards and that they intend to come up with a universal standard to replace them all. The next panel has them complaining that there is now another competing standard, if I remember correctly. We've got Presta and Schrader, and we've all got the appropriate pump for our needs. Why do we need another valve standard?"

Said cartoon: 

pic.twitter.com/5xZSjyhpYX

— Jon (@ormondroyd) July 3, 2024

Mike Butcher: "Cycling needs to bring in a standard for all components, whether it's valves or bottom brackets, there are too many variations out there already." 

Commoner: "Can't wait until just one is decided on..."

Happy Cycling UK: "Ok. Take my money..."

Steve Clayton: "Nah no point and more pointless crap to sort a problem that doesn't exist."

Paul Greendale: "About bloody time someone came up with an alternative to those two daft formats!"

Si: "No one. Absolutely no one has asked for this. Pure change for the sake of it!"

Any more for any more? Speak now or forever hold your silence... or at least until the next story on it...