Cycling

Prior to lockdown, I cycled to work every day (8 miles each way), and whilst it was hard work I felt really good for doing it.

I will be resuming this in September when I am required to return to the office.

Tour de Suisse: Gino Mader dies aged 26 after stage five crash..

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Gino Mader passed away on Friday morning

Swiss cyclist Gino Mader has died at the age of 26 after crashing on stage five of the Tour de Suisse.

The Team Bahrain Victorious rider was involved in a high-speed crash with American Magnus Sheffield, 21, on Thursday on the descent of the Albula Pass and fell into a ravine.

He was resuscitated at the scene before being airlifted to hospital in Chur, but passed away on Friday morning.

Bahrain Victorious said Mader was "one of the shining lights of our team".

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Friday's stage six was cancelled but the peloton will ride the final 20km neutralised in honour of Mader.

"Gino was an extraordinary athlete, an example of determination, a valued member of our team and the whole cycling community," Mader's team said.

"His talent, dedication and passion for the sport has inspired us all."

Team managing director Milan Erzen said: "Not only was he an extremely talented cyclist but a great person off the bike.

"Bahrain Victorious will race in his honour, keeping his memory on every road we race. We are determined to show the spirit and passion Gino displayed, and he will always remain an integral part of our team."

The last high-profile rider death in similar circumstances at World Tour level was in 2011, when Belgium's Wouter Weylandt crashed at the Giro d'Italia after descending at great speed and died soon afterwards from head injuries.

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Gino Mader fell into a ravine after crashing with Magnus Sheffield, who was helped to walk away from the scene

The UCI - cycling's world governing body - said Mader was a "rising star".

Tour de Suisse race director Olivier Senn said: "We're heartbroken, the whole organisation, the teams and the riders.

"It is devastating what happened, really hard to put into words. We just stood together with all the teams and riders in memory of Gino and that's all that counts for us at the moment.

"Gino was a fantastic rider and an excellent human, he was really a good person and he doesn't deserve to leave the world like this."

Ineos Grenadiers rider Sheffield was taken to hospital with a concussion and soft tissue damage.

Ineos said they were "heartbroken" by the news, adding: "Gino wasn't just a hugely talented bike rider and great competitor, he was also an incredible person and a friend to many of us.

"His absence will be felt by everyone in the peloton and throughout our sport."

Mader was a track cyclist before turning professional on the road in 2019 and joined Team Bahrain Victorious two years later.

In 2021, he won stage six of the Giro d'Italia and finished top of the young rider classification at the Vuelta a Espana.

After the conclusion of stage five, Soudal-Quickstep rider and road race world champion Remco Evenepoel expressed his concerns over the "dangerous descent" at the finish.

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The TdF itself has been brilliant so far. More racing in the first couple of days than the whole of the Giro d'Italia. As predicted it looks like a slug fest between Pogacar and Vingegaard.

Cyclist Sir Chris Hoy announces his cancer is terminal..by Anna Lamche, BBC News

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Six-time Olympic cycling champion Sir Chris Hoy has announced that his cancer is terminal.

In an interview with the Sunday Times,, external he says doctors have told him he has between two and four years to live.

The 48-year-old Scot revealed earlier this year that he had been diagnosed with cancer.

Hoy told the newspaper he has known for a year that his cancer is terminal.

Hoy won six Olympic golds between 2004 and 2012 - the second highest total by any British Olympian behind Sir Jason Kenny's tally of seven.

He retired from cycling in 2013 and in recent years has been a regular pundit and commentator as part of BBC Sport's cycling coverage.

He had not previously disclosed the type of cancer.

But he told the Sunday Times that he had been diagnosed with primary cancer in his prostate, which had spread to his bones - meaning it was stage four.

Tumours were discovered to his shoulder, pelvis, hip, spine and rib.

Sir Chris told the newspaper: "As unnatural as it feels, this is nature.

"You know, we were all born and we all die, and this is just part of the process.

"You remind yourself, aren't I lucky that there is medicine I can take that will fend this off for as long as possible."

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The Olympian's cancer was discovered last year after a routine scan for shoulder pain - he thought he had injured himself while lifting weights at the gym - revealed a tumour.

The athlete was with his wife Sarra when he was given his terminal diagnosis. The couple have two children, Callum and Chloe, who were aged nine and six at the time.

Just before Sir Chris's tumour was discovered, Sarra had undergone scans that would later show she had multiple sclerosis, a degenerative disease.

Sir Chris, who was first inspired to take up cycling by the famous BMX scenes in the film E.T., had won six Olympic, 11 world and 43 World Cup titles by the time he retired.

The cyclist first won gold at the Athens Olympics in 2004, and went on to secure three more gold medals four years later in 2008 Beijing. He won two further golds in London 2012.

Such was his prestige that he was chosen to be the flag bearer for Team GB at the closing ceremony of the 2008 Olympics and then again at the opening ceremony for the London Olympics four years later.

A stadium built in Glasgow for the 2014 Commonwealth Games was named in his honour.

Since retiring, Sir Chris has written several books for children alongside his contribution to BBC cycling coverage.

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