British Cycling under scrutiny over allegations of ‘toxic culture’ in leadership team 16 October 2026 at 13:07

British Cycling under scrutiny over allegations of ‘toxic culture’ in leadership team

16 October 2026 at 13:07

Former employee alleges bullying swept under carpet
British Cycling defends handling of complaints

British Cycling is facing further questions after a former employee accused it of having a “toxic culture” days after Matt Richardson was sent home from the World Track Championships in Shanghai.

Jack Lindsay, who worked as a commercial manager at British Cycling from 2024 to 2025, criticised the way he claimed it responded to his formal workplace bullying complaint spanning dozens of incidents. And he also questioned what he branded a lack of oversight from UK Sport, which has given the organisation £30m to prepare for the LA Olympics.

Ms., Martians and Guacamole: Their First Time in The Times 15 October 2026 at 15:50

Ms., Martians and Guacamole: Their First Time in The Times

NYT: Technology

By: The New York Times and Joanna Ni

15 October 2026 at 15:50

Our reporters share a compendium of debuts, discoveries and (sometimes overdue) appearances in the paper.

Matt Richardson vows to cooperate with investigation into alleged misconduct 13 October 2026 at 13:12

Matt Richardson vows to cooperate with investigation into alleged misconduct

The Guardian

By: Sean Ingle

13 October 2026 at 13:12

Richardson ‘disappointed’ to miss world championships
‘I understand the seriousness of what has been raised’

Matt Richardson has promised to cooperate with a British Cycling investigation into allegations of serious misconduct after he was withdrawn from this week’s Track Cycling World Championships in Shanghai.

In an Instagram post on Tuesday, Richardson said that he understood the seriousness of the allegations, which the Times reported were related to his behaviour to other riders, and promised that he would act with contrition to anyone he had offended.

Check the waistband – and beware sneaky jargon: the expert guide to buying clothes that last 13 October 2026 at 10:00

Check the waistband – and beware sneaky jargon: the expert guide to buying clothes that last

The Guardian

By: Hannah Rochell

13 October 2026 at 10:00

Should you look for French seams or overlocking? Is dry-clean only a red flag? And how do you spot quality when shopping online? We asked the pros

• How to make your leather last a lifetime

Take a look at the outfit you’re wearing now: how many times have you worn each item? And how long have you had them? Just over 10 years ago, Eco-Age founder Livia Firth and journalist Lucy Siegle launched the 30 wears challenge to encourage people to buy clothes they would wear at least 30 times.

The 30 wears challenge is a great concept. As a journalist interested in sustainable fashion, I’ve enjoyed applying this rule for years and found the goal can often be surpassed, but with one proviso: clothing must be chosen carefully. The goal is only realistic if garments are of good enough quality to stand up to repeated wear. So, how do you know if your clothes really are well made? Does it mean you have to spend a fortune on them? Do you need to know the difference between a French seam and an overlock seam? And how can we judge clothing quality before buying if we are, like 37% of Britons, getting most of our clothes online? I spoke to experts to find out.

Houseplant hacks: is it eco-friendly or risky to reuse nursery pots? 13 October 2026 at 05:00

Houseplant hacks: is it eco-friendly or risky to reuse nursery pots?

The Guardian

By: Gynelle Leon

13 October 2026 at 05:00

You want to garden sustainably but don’t want to transfer pests to new plants. Here’s how to decide whether to refill or recycle

The problem
Most plant people end up with a never-ending supply of plastic nursery pots, stuffed in cupboards or bags. Throwing them away feels wasteful, but reusing can transfer pests, fungus spores or disease to new plants.

The hack
Reuse them, but clean thoroughly first. Nursery pots are brilliant for houseplants because the drainage holes stop root rot. Water thoroughly and let the excess run out, then slip the pot into something decorative.

‘People sell their best stuff on Vinted’ – how charity shops became a dumping ground for unsellable clothes 13 October 2026 at 02:00

‘People sell their best stuff on Vinted’ – how charity shops became a dumping ground for unsellable clothes

The Guardian

By: Fleur Britten

13 October 2026 at 02:00

Swamped with ‘daily avalanches’ of soiled items and poor-quality fast fashion, secondhand stores are in crisis. What went wrong with people’s good intentions? And is it possible to donate more effectively?

The small stockroom of St Raphael’s Hospice charity shop in Cheam, south London, is rammed with donations. “On average, we get 30 to 50 bags a day,” says Caroline Worley, the commercial manager, “but it’s not unusual to receive over 100.” This might sound like a good problem to have, but the sheer volume of stuff is the shop’s biggest challenge. “Sometimes, there’s only [enough] floor space to tiptoe,” says 48-year-old store manager, Colin French.

Rummaging through the donations, it’s clear that much is unsaleable: a smelly, soiled bathrobe, tatty trainers, heavily bobbled jumpers, old socks, an empty Swarovski jewellery case. “Absolutely typical,” says Worley. They’re also overwhelmed with deluges of low-quality fashion – a shift in donation habits that accelerated during Covid, because, says Worley, all that time at home enabled people to sell their best stuff on Vinted.

Matt Richardson dropped from GB cycling team amid claims of misconduct 12 October 2026 at 12:43

Matt Richardson dropped from GB cycling team amid claims of misconduct

The Guardian

By: Sean Ingle

12 October 2026 at 12:43

Rider was to take part in track world championships
British Cycling confirms Richardson was withdrawn

Matt Richardson has been withdrawn from the Great Britain team for next week’s track world championships in Shanghai amid allegations of serious misconduct.

The 27-year-old, who switched allegiances from Australia after the Paris 2024 Olympics, had been seen as one of Britain’s strongest medal hopes, with chances in the team and individual sprints and the keirin. But after a Times story, which reported that there had been concerns about his behaviour from other riders, he is now in the process of leaving the team’s training base in China.

A lakeside idyll: laid-back cycling and autumn hikes on Italy’s Lake Iseo 12 October 2026 at 02:00

A lakeside idyll: laid-back cycling and autumn hikes on Italy’s Lake Iseo

The Guardian

By: Suzy Pope

12 October 2026 at 02:00

Smaller and less visited than Como and Garda, Lake Iseo harbours a gorgeous car-free island ideal for easy-going cycling and sightseeing

Rust red and burnt sienna speckle the green mountain rising from Lake Iseo. Golden autumn sunlight shimmers on the water. Monte Isola, Italy’s largest lake island, is a peak of sheer cliffs and dense forest, dotted with old fishing hamlets and hillside villages, each as pretty as the terraced villas of Lake Como and Garda, but with far fewer visitors. I arrive at the small port town of Peschiera Maraglio – where striped wooden boats jut from the water like the gondolas of Venice – on a ferry from Sulzano, a five-minute hop across the water.

“Only three people on the island are allowed to own a car: the priest, the doctor and the mayor,” says Chiara, my tour guide from Brescia. Residents can zip up and down the steep island roads on mopeds, and a small fleet of van-sized buses trundle around throughout the day, but nearly all cars are forbidden and visitors have to explore on foot or bike.

Seixas makes Giro di Lombardia history after riders stage safety protest 10 October 2026 at 11:33

Seixas makes Giro di Lombardia history after riders stage safety protest

The Guardian

By: Agencies

10 October 2026 at 11:33

French prodigy is youngest winner of the Classic
Evenepoel highlights death of Finlay Tarling

Paul Seixas ended his breakout season as a history-making Monument winner with a stunning victory at the Giro di Lombardia. The 20-year-old French prodigy became the youngest winner of the Classic of the Falling Leaves and the fourth-youngest winner of a Monument.

The Vuelta champion Enric Mas took second place, 48 seconds back, with Giulio Ciccone rounding out the podium just over a minute behind the winner.

Sports quiz of the week: Harry Kane, Victor Wembanyama and WSL winners 9 October 2026 at 07:52

Sports quiz of the week: Harry Kane, Victor Wembanyama and WSL winners

The Guardian

By: Paul Campbell and Niall McVeigh

9 October 2026 at 07:52

Have you been following the big news in football, tennis, basketball, rugby, hockey, cycling, darts and the NFL?

Valtteri Bottas reveals lizard-leaping, python-dodging cycling exploits on epic ride 8 October 2026 at 12:08

Valtteri Bottas reveals lizard-leaping, python-dodging cycling exploits on epic ride

The Guardian

By: Giles Richards

8 October 2026 at 12:08

Cadillac driver rode between Malaysia and Singapore
Four-day trip helped him acclimatise for Singapore GP

Valtteri Bottas has revealed the details of an incident-packed 418km bike ride including encounters with snakes, being chased by dogs and the eerie atmosphere of riding through the jungle at night as the Cadillac driver cycled between Malaysia and Singapore this week.

The 37-year-old is a keen cyclist and after a suggestion from his girlfriend, the Australian Olympic cyclist Tiffany Cromwell, he decided to take on the challenge of riding from the last round in Sepang near Kuala Lumpur to this weekend’s grand prix on the street circuit in Singapore, under his own steam.

Pidcock ‘mad’ after two teammates collide with police motorcyclist in Italy 7 October 2026 at 05:21

Pidcock ‘mad’ after two teammates collide with police motorcyclist in Italy

The Guardian

By: Press Association

7 October 2026 at 05:21

Pinarello-Q36.5’s Camprubi and Gloag floored in crash
‘Things like this shouldn’t happen,’ says British rider

Tom Pidcock revealed that he considered quitting the Tre Valli Varesine after two teammates crashed upon being hit by a police motorcyclist.

The British rider’s Pinarello-Q36.5 colleagues Marcel Camprubi and Thomas Gloag were struck with six laps of the finishing circuit left. Jarno Widar won the race with Pidcock finishing second.

‘It’s hard to imagine the fires of July’: a bike ride through the Cairngorms in Scotland 7 October 2026 at 02:00

‘It’s hard to imagine the fires of July’: a bike ride through the Cairngorms in Scotland

The Guardian

By: Ailsa Sheldon

7 October 2026 at 02:00

Wildfires raged through the national park this summer, but much of the landscape remains untouched – and autumn is the perfect time to go

In the Cairngorms national park, the bracken is changing from dark green to russet and umber. Birch leaves are lined with gold, while the Scots pines remain proudly green. Autumn is arriving with a little sigh of relief here, after a summer few will forget.

The wildfire that began near Glenmore and Abernethy on 15 July burned more than 33 sq km (13 sq miles) of moorland and forest. More than 500 firefighters were involved; homes and businesses were evacuated; and the emergency response lasted over a month. Visiting now, it’s hard to see, or even imagine, the damage. Much of the burned area is high on the hill and far from the roads. It’s a huge loss but, in a national park stretching 4,528 sq km (1,748 sq miles), surprisingly easy to miss.

Ikea to pilot online buyback service for secondhand furniture 6 October 2026 at 19:01

Ikea to pilot online buyback service for secondhand furniture

The Guardian

By: Sarah Butler

6 October 2026 at 19:01

Service to be tested in Spain and Portugal this year, with a UK rollout if successful, as pre-loved markets boom

Ikea is to test an online version of its buy-back service where the retailer offers vouchers for unwanted secondhand furniture.

The service will be tested in Spain and Portugal before the end of December and will be launched in the UK if it proves successful. Ikea already offers buy-back in stores, including in the UK. The online version will extend it to a much wider audience, with Ikea predicting pre-owned goods are likely to grab 16% of the UK homewares market by next year

Normal view