Re today’s stage of the Giro d’Italia - sorry, but in perfect weather conditions, and with no other significant unexpected factors, it really should NEVER be necessary to take a section of a pre-planned finish out of the stage in the last few minutes of the race.

Enjoying watching the Giro d’Italia. Inspired by the landscapes of Italy, I’ve just finished painting this mural in the courtyard of my son Jack’s delicatessen / cafe-bar, Delicio Whalley. What do you think, cycling friends?

All the Paris-Roubaix teams on the latest technology today. But, hang on. So many punctures, often with riders crashing. If only there was some sort of tyre system with a tube inside, and a strong cotton outer, stitched into a tube shape then stuck on to a rim with special glue…

Sorry to hear of the passing of Sir Craig Reedie, the greatest British sports administrator ever, in my opinion. An absolute gentleman, with the highest levels of integrity and honesty. Rest in peace my friend, it was an honour to have known you.

Sir Craig Reedie, key London 2012 Olympics figure and former BOA chair, dies aged 84

Sir Craig Reedie, a giant of the Olympic movement, who served as chair of the British Olympic Association for more than a decade and was instrumental in bringing the Games to London in 2012, has died ...

theguardian.com

Hang on @tntsports you’re promising we won’t miss a minute of live coverage of @LeTour but now you’re treating us to repetitive ad breaks every few minutes, after previously providing ad-free streaming to subscribers. Maybe change your name to @pricegougingexperts?

Why on earth would Netflix release the latest series of their Tour de France Unchained, based on the 2024 race, a couple of days before the 2025 race starts? Literally a spoiler.

Excellent coverage of Simon Yates’ win in the Giro d’Italia.

The Guardian@theguardian.com · last yr.

Giro d’Italia winner Simon Yates hails ‘huge moment in my career’

Please will someone ask Cycling Up To Date website to stop sending out notifications that are spoilers, even when you’re watching with a few minutes delay.

Tree of the Day? Maybe. Goat of the Day? Definitely. Photo taken at Pollença, Mallorca today.

New AIRmail pro cycling newsletter out today …. theouterline.substack.com/p/pogacar-cont… …. Pogacar continues his dominant run; “The Athletic” weighs in on cycling’s future; Uno-X’s clever use of jerseys; Women’s cycling is more exciting these days; Cycling TV is still stuck in the past ….

I never cease to be amazed by the people who discover cycle racing, fall in love with its unique nature, its heritage, its history, its complexity and its unpredictability, then decide it should be changed to be more like other sports. It shouldn't. It isn't like other sports. Stop this nonsense.

I'm supporting this petition, and I've also emailed Ofcom Chair Lord Grade about the issue of the apparent broadcasting monopoly position of WBD/Discovery regarding cycling and other sports in the UK. petition.parliament.uk/petitions/71...

Petition: Make the Tour de France a Category A event so it is free-to-air

Make the Tour de France a Category A event to ensure it remains free-to-air in the UK.

petition.parliament.uk

It's exactly ten years ago since @UCI_cycling published the report of the Cycling Independent Reform Commission. Not everyone was happy with all of it, but I believe it significantly helped change the sport for better. Here's a link to the report. www.sportsintegrityinitiative.com/wp-content/u...

I heard one of the executives of @WBDsports was out shopping the other day. Went in to a department store, took a t-shirt and a pair of jeans to the till, but the assistant said "Yes, sir, fine, but you'll also have to buy an Armani suit as well. That's company policy".....

Cycling Weekly@cyclingweekly.com · last yr.

The death of Eurosport was debated in Parliament today www.cyclingweekly.com/news/eurospo...

Great to see a full house at the @BritishCycling National Track Championships at @N_CyclingCentre aka Manchester Velodrome last night.

For me, Geraint Thomas represents all the best things about the golden era of British Cycling. A talented athlete spotted at an early age and given all the right support at every stage of his career, certainly. But...1/3

Looking forward to the BBC investigation into how many other people’s CVs on LinkedIn have been, er, updated today. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Questions raised over Rachel Reeves’s CV and expenses after BBC investigation

The BBC has established the Chancellor left the Bank of England nine months earlier than she states in her LinkedIn profile.

bbc.co.uk

If you’re upset about WBD's decision to scrap Eurosport in the UK and Ireland, and incorporate cycling and several other sports into TNT channels, it’s quite a simple matter to make a complaint to the Competition and Markets Authority here; www.gov.uk/government/o...

Competition and Markets Authority

We help people, businesses and the UK economy by promoting competitive markets and tackling unfair behaviour. CMA is a non-ministerial department.

gov.uk

Following controversy over WBD's decision to scrap Eurosport in the UK and Ireland, and incorporate cycling and several other sports into TNT channels, at a 400% price increase, I wrote an op-ed piece for the Escape Collective. You can read it here;

Brian Cookson: Why isn’t buying cycling TV coverage just like buying beans? - Escape Collective

The former UCI President gives his thoughts on WBD's recent price hike.

escapecollective.com

Escape Collective@escapecollective.bsky.social · 2y ago

Brian Cookson: Why isn’t buying cycling TV coverage just like buying beans? escapecollective.com/brian-cookso...

This is worth a listen if you are interested in understanding how cycling came to be dominated by the Tour de France and its owner ASO. open.spotify.com/episode/4TEm...

How the ASO aquired the Tour de France

Overnight Success · Episode

open.spotify.com

I’ve been thinking more about the WBD decision to incorporate Eurosport and Discovery+ coverage of sports including cycling, in the UK and Ireland, into new TNT channels, with a massive price increase. Here’s an alternative way to look at this. 🧵

What's most disappointing about this is the total misunderstanding of the asset that WBD/Disney/Eurosport have had in broadcasting/ streaming cycling. Packaging it in with other bigger sports in a "Premium" package is completely the wrong thing to do. 1/2. escapecollective.com/tnt-blows-up...

TNT blows up cycling TV coverage with 443% price increase - Escape Collective

Eurosport is being shut down in the UK and Ireland, and prices are going up.

escapecollective.com

This Tree of the Day is from my walk along the River Calder at Whalley in Lancashire, UK. It’s a hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) that’s clearly seen better days, but is determinedly hanging on to the riverbank.

Some important news. Today I made a Burnt Basque Cheesecake. I just thought you’d like to know. 😉

In prepration for the announcement of this years event, we’ve moved over from X and will be deleting our account there. Please help us spread the word we’re here!🥴😂

Thought I would contribute to the debate about the future of the Olympic Games. Here’s my letter in today’s Guardian. www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/j...

Tweaking the Olympics cycle is a champion idea | Letters

Letters: Give the Games a boost by moving indoor sports to the winter event, writes Brian Cookson, and other readers respond to an article in which Sean Ingle suggested staging the summer Games more f...

theguardian.com

Please someone tell @BBC News that it’s “creator” not “creater”!

x.com/theouterline...

A splendid oak Tree of the Day from my morning walk. On Clark's Hill, in effect the lower slopes of Pendle Hill, near both Whalley and Wiswell in the Ribble Valley, UK.