Critérium du Dauphiné stage CANCELLED following huge crash; Cyclist's stolen penny-farthing returned after help from Jeremy Vine; Tour of Britain Women starts; Dogma-gate continues; "Leaked" kit rumours (+ Wout's blue Cervélo) + more on the live blog

I've got Ian Smith's "barest of margins" commentary from England's win at the 2019 Cricket World Cup back in my head having watched this finish between Lotte Kopecky and Letizia Paternoster on the opening stage of the Tour of Britain today. Kopecky got the win, despite the Italian raising her arm in celebration thinking she'd nabbed it.

Paternoster was certainly finishing faster, and another few metres would have made the victory hers, but alas the world champion has another victory on her incredibly impressive palmares. Credit to British Cycling, putting together a race, and a cracking stage (in just a matter of weeks).

Pfeiffer Georgi and Lizzie Deignan were third and fourth, while Anna Henderson also represented the Brits well in the front group. Tomorrow's stage starts and ends in Wrexham, the climb of Horseshoe Pass with 30km to go the main challenge for the peloton. 

👋 Letizia Paternoster, giving the fans love and then racing to victory in the sprint segment.

Iconic.@LetyPaternoster | @GreenEDGEWCT | #TourOfBritain pic.twitter.com/9k2f16e047

— Lloyds Bank Tour of Britain (@TourofBritain) June 6, 2024

Terrible scenes at the Critérium du Dauphiné, wet roads and a huge crash bringing down a large chunk of the peloton, including race leader Remco Evenepoel, Primož Roglič, Juan Ayuso and numerous others.

The organisers communicated via social media: "The stage will be neutralised due to the lack of medical assistance still available. No time will be taken on this stage, and there will be no stage winner."

With so many riders affected it will take some time to get word on everyone involved, but Visma-Lease a Bike's wretched luck certainly continued, Dylan van Baarle and Steven Kruijswijk being taken to hospital in an ambulance, Van Baarle appearing to have his arm in a sling.

The logistical challenge which has seen the stage cancelled is that all the ambulances are required to attend to the injured from the crash, meaning if the stage were to continue there would not be sufficient medical coverage if something else were then to happen. The riders will continue to the finish, but the racing is done. No time gaps will be taken and it's purely processional.

The TV pictures just picked out Ayuso, the Spaniard's knee bloodied and with a large hole in his shorts, a road rash-covered hip on show too. He leaned against his team car and did not looking particularly happy with life, but the fact he was on the bike is a small positive at least. Lidl-Trek's Alex Kirsch also sported some nasty looking road rash...

Without knowing the full extent of any injuries, both Van Baarle and Kruijswijk were expected to be part of Visma-Lease a Bike's Tour squad so, when you add in Jonas Vingegaard and Wout van Aert's fitness question marks, plus Christophe Laporte and Jan Tratnik's disrupted seasons, it leaves just Sepp Kuss (who doesn't want to be GC leader), Matteo Jorgenson and Tiesj Benoot as having had a clear run in the first half of 2024. They all must be cursing their luck. 

The Dutch duo appeared to be the worst injured, and thankfully both of them were up, conscious and talking. DNFs and medical reports of potential fractures, bruises, road rash and other injuries will presumably continue to roll in throughout the evening and into the pre-stage morning tomorrow. This was the incident in full, very nasty indeed:

🛑NEUTRALIZADA LA #Dauphiné por una durísima caída masiva

🚴‍♂️Algo en el asfalto ha podido provocar la caída de Evenepoel, Landa o Juan Ayuso entre otros...

🔴EN DIRECTO: https://t.co/nsw3Bzit0L pic.twitter.com/D6xTKzzmsH

— Teledeporte (@teledeporte) June 6, 2024

More to follow... 

You've probably seen it by now, but Jamie won't be getting a Christmas card from anyone at Ineos Grenadiers this year (not that any of us would have anyway)...

It got the seal of approval from the Lanterne Rouge Cycling Podcast, Patrick Broe and Benji Naesen saying "this was funny" and enjoying Jamie's amusing efforts like the rest of us.

"You're coming to a public event with a new bicycle, a new Pinarello. It was already spotted a few weeks ago, it is likely that a journalist will come and will try and report on your new bike.

"Like you telling that journalist to basically go away, this filming a new bike that you bring to a public event. To me, that sounds stupid. What is the next step?
You're going to tell Eurosport to stop putting the Ineos riders on screen because they're riding a new Pinarello Dogma? Like what's the point here?"

Anyway, here's the full story on the bike they were so desperate to avoid being filmed.

Cycling UK has written to all the main party candidates standing at the general election, asking for support to be pledged to a manifesto that asks to enable people to live happier, healthier and greener lives through cycling, BikeBiz reports. Using independent research by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), one of Cycling UK's six manifesto points asks for at least 10 per cent of the total transport budget to be used for active travel within five years. The points include:

• Deliver long-term investment in cycling, walking and wheeling

• Provide better transport choices to reduce traffic

• Build truly sustainable new homes and developments

• Make our streets safer

• Help everyone to access nature

• Fix our failing road traffic laws

 "Cycling is a great transport option for millions of people across the UK and can save the NHS billions," Sarah McMonagle, Cycling UK's director of external affairs, said. "With firm commitments from candidates during the general election campaign, we can improve public health, address the climate crisis head-on, help boost the economy, and ease the cost-of-living crisis for everyone.

"This isn't just an investment in transport, but an investment in a better and more prosperous future. Studies show for every £1 spent, we gain nearly £6 in benefits, one of the highest returns on investment from spending on transport. The public support is there, we have the blueprint to build better communities, and we’re urging all candidates to back them."

Wout van Aert, Jonas Vingegaard and Christophe Laporte are training in the Alps as the weeks tick down and the race against time to be fit for the Tour de France continues. A video of the trio emerged, Van Aert launching a sprint on what appears to be a blue Cervélo. Now, maybe it's just what's available to him, it's just a training bike after all... should anyone care?

Well, naturally it's sparked the internet gossip section into full swing, with people predicting Visma-Lease a Bike might be about to have a radical kit colour change ahead of the Tour. 

Look at that new bike of Wout van Aert 👀 Does it hint to the new Visma - Lease a Bike Tour de France jersey? 💙

Do you know what peloton misses the most? Yes, another blue jersey 😂 pic.twitter.com/zwk3FDTVqc

— Lukáš Ronald Lukács (@lucasaganronald) June 5, 2024

Then, this image appeared on French site Cyclism A'ctu...

A major change from the yellow bee theme (which needs altering due to the race leader's maillot jaune), but also complete rubbish, according to Wielerflits. While the team has not officially commented, the Dutch cycling news site says this isn't it... to everyone's relief.