The Tour de France could still go ahead despite more sanctions on mass gatherings by the French government.

 

Cycling's biggest race was set to start two months late, on 29 August, because of coronavirus, but the government ban has extended until September.

Olympic champion Anna van der Breggen will retire next year and become a coach with Boels-Dolmans.

 

The Dutch rider, 30, will try to defend her road race title at the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics next summer before ending her racing career.

British cyclist Elynor Backstedt has broken her leg in a training crash.

 

The Welsh 18-year-old, who is based in Belgium, suffered a spiral fracture of the tibia on Sunday.

Still hopeful for some cycling action this year - not sure how the clubs will manage if all the big events are cancelled, especially when all their money comes from sponsors driven by results.

Mark Cavendish's chances of being selected for this year's Tour de France have been hampered by the coronavirus, says his team manager Rod Ellingworth.

 

Cavendish, 35, has 30 Tour stage wins - four behind the record held by Eddy Merckx - but his last two seasons have been plagued by injury and illness.

 

With races postponed since March, he has had no chance to prove his fitness.

 

"He doesn't have automatic selection and he doesn't want it," said Bahrain-McLaren team principal Ellingworth.

 

"He doesn't want it just handed to him. But we made an agreement that if he was winning races that would be enough to go to the Tour.

 

"Unfortunately that changes, and with so little racing beforehand it cuts his chances of being able to prove he's back at a decent level."

As I've said before I'm really not sure he'll ever be at the form he needs to be at to win stages anymore, even if he does make the team there are so many good sprinters out there right now.

Chris Froome is to leave Team Ineos at the end of the season after they decided not to renew his contract.

 

He will join Israel Start-Up Nation for next season as sole team leader.

 

After 10 years and four Tour de France titles won with Ineos (formerly Team Sky), Froome, 35, said: "We have achieved so much together and I will always treasure the memories."

 

Froome will compete for Ineos at this year's Tour, which begins on 29 August.

 

Ineos general manager Sir Dave Brailsford said he and Froome "shared many memorable moments over the years, but I do believe this is the right decision for the team and for Chris".

It is sad but I'm not remotely surprised - they couldn't really go on having three Tour winners vying for a spot and after reading his autobiography I think Froome is very set on what he wants and being third-in-command definitely isn't it.

Former Great Britain cyclist Jess Varnish has lost her employment tribunal appeal against British Cycling.

 

Varnish, 29, has spent years in a legal battle over her claim she should be considered an employee of the governing body or funding agency UK Sport.

 

The former European team sprint champion lost her initial case in January 2019.

 

Her appeal has now been dismissed after a two-day remote hearing in May.

 

The judge, Mr Justice Choudhury, ruled that: "The [original] tribunal was entitled to conclude, based on an evaluative judgment taking account of all relevant factors, that the claimant was not an employee or a worker.

 

"The tribunal had not erred in its approach to the assessment of employee status and nor had it reached conclusions that no reasonable tribunal, properly directed, could have reached."

Thoughts for Fabio Jakobsen after a horrific crash at the Tour of Poland.

Gosh, the second year in a row for the Tour of Poland to have a horrific crash. Prayers are with Jakobsen and his family

Team INEOS have signed Tom Pidcock for next season to add to Porte and Yates joining.

 

Good pick I'd say, it's been feeling like INEOS have been losing their British-ness for a while now (only sending one British rider to the tour and all) so signing a Junior World Championship medallist is probably a good option.

 

(i'll now wait patiently for Bahrain-McLaren to sign a rider actually from Bahrain)

Arkea-Samsic are being investigated for doping, in particular the Colombians Winner Anacona and Nairo/Dayer Quintana.

 

Would probably be the most ineffective doping ever considering Nairo finished in his lowest ever Tour position and I didn't even realise the other two were in the race in the first place :lol:

Catching up on this weekend's World Championships - awful to see Chloe Dygert crash like that but good to see Van Der Breggen finally getting that top spot.

Geraint Thomas has fractured his pelvis and is out of the Giro. Which is a shame, as I'd forgotton it had even started!

Mark Cavendish has dampened rumours of him stopping racing after suggesting he was set to retire.