ANDREW PIERCE: Home Secretary Priti Patel was defended last week in a statement by 100 allies, including election guru Sir Lynton Crosby and William Shawcross, former chief of the Charity Commission.

In the same month that Milos Raonic and Felix Auger-Aliassime aim to elevate Canadian tennis to new heights, Michael Woods will ride across France in the hope of making history of his own

The startling scene was recorded by an onlooker during the ninth stage of the Tour de France from Saint-Etienne to Brioude in central-eastern France.

Valentin Anouilh, 21, spent six months training for the stunt which saw him soar over the heads of the elite riders as they sprinted through a valley near Saint Flour, Auvergne.

Tour de France organisers are looking to launch a women's equivalent of the most prestigious race in men's cycling, they said on Friday.

MATT LAWTON ON THE COL DU TOURMALET: Owner of Ineos Jim Ratcliffe must have sat in the team car on Saturday afternoon and wondered if he had just bought a cycling team in decline.

MATT LAWTON IN NIMES: The tone was one of defiance; the message that Team Ineos are not dead yet. As Sir Dave Brailsford was quick to point out, they sit second and fifth.

The defending champion came off on a right-hander with around 130km of the 177km stage, which started and finished in Nimes, remaining. He was though soon able to rejoin the race.

MATT LAWTON IN GAP: Team Ineos go into three massive days in the Alps that will determine the outcome of the most mesmerising Tour de France in decades, without captain Luke Rowe.

Thibaut Pinot's dream of becoming the first French winner of the Tour de France for 34 years is over after the Groupama-FDJ rider was forced to abandon early on stage 19 to Tignes.

MATT LAWTON IN VALLOIRE: Thibaut Pinot abandoned the race in tears and Julian Alaphilippe lost the yellow jersey on the brutal ascent of the highest paved pass in Europe.

MATT LAWTON IN VAL THORENS: The 22-year-old Colombian held on to the yellow jersey in stage 20, and is set to be crowned the youngest Tour winner in 110 years.

MATT LAWTON IN PARIS: Brailsford believes Bernal is capable of maintaining the team's dominance of the Tour de France for years to come. At 22, he is the youngest man to win in Paris since 1909.

MATT LAWTON IN PARIS: Wiggins and Thomas believe Team Ineos will continue to dominate the Tour de France with a young Colombian cyclist who could turn out to be the greatest in history.

The 34-year-old suffered multiple broken bones after he collided with a wall during this year's event, but is ahead in his recovery and is targeting next year's race as a potential return date.

The 55-year-old cycling coach confirmed in an interview with The Times that he has had surgery on a tumour which doctors discovered after flagging up concerns over blood tests.

Chris Froome has revealed that he does not remember any part of the horrific crash that almost cost him his life during a training ride in May.

The most successful cyclist in history, Eddy Merckx, is in intensive care after falling during a bike ride with friends. He was admitted to Dendermonde hospital in Belgium on Sunday.

Team Ineos sporting director Nicolas Portal has tragically passed away at the age of 40. A statement from Team Ineos said that the Frenchman died at his home in Andorra on Tuesday afternoon.

Team INEOS has announced they are pulling out of all racing until the Volta a Catalunya on March 23.

The legendary road race is scheduled to start in Nice on June 27 but it will now either be postponed or scrapped altogether, with a decision expected later this week.

Beloved of intrepid explorers and school run mums alike, the one millionth Land Rover Discovery rolled off the production line today before embarking on an epic 8,000 mile fund-raising expedition miles to China.

It is the first time China has led the Bentley sales table, a landmark that will be seen as another sign of a new world economic order.

It's not every day an international luxury car company holds the global launch of its latest model in Britain — and brings over its top brass to do the honours.

I love the look of the new Volkswagen Beetle Cabriolet which makes its world debut at the Los Angeles Motor Show on November 28 and will go on sale in Britain in spring.

James Bond star Daniel Craig performed a top secret mission right under the noses of the world's media at this week's royal global premier of the latest 007 movie, Skyfall, which goes on general release today.

Major car makers including Vauxhall, Nissan, Citroen and Volvo will exhibit a range of their latest and yet to launch vehicles as well as providing test drives at the Future Drive Motor Show.

What would you splash out on if your numbers came up? According to new research, for British car fans, nothing but a Bentley will do.

Mailonline has had an exclusive first drive of the astonishing new ‘green’ super-frugal car offering 2p a mile motoring that could swiftly put Osborne and the Treasury out of business.

With a longer range, lots of extra space and a heavier steer, the Nissan LEAF might be small but it drives like one of the big boys - and that's no bad thing.

RAY MASSEY: As controversial table-manners go, it certainly beats resting on your elbows. This remarkable stunt came as the dashing Earl of March hosted a sumptuous sponsors and press dinner.

Ray Massey test out the sexy new Jaguar F-type sports car, which has a top speed of 186mph and will accelerate to 60mph in just 4.2 seconds.

My test drive of the new Range Rover Sport was exacting enough, before I tackled the decommissioned jumbo at Cotswold Airport, near Cirencester, Glos.

RAY MASSEY: The first things to catch the eye are the curious blisters of air-filled plastic, which adorn the sides of the door and bodywork.

Skoda is about to launch the second generation of its popular crossover sports utility vehicle. The first generation has already proved a big hit.

Most of the hi-tech kit needed for the car to drive itself — from self-parking to collision avoidance — is already hard-wired into the new version.

It's not every day I get a police escort down The Mall from Buckingham Palace. But I did - well, sort of - in this head-turning electric car from BMW.

The X Factor boss might have been holding court in Los Angeles but for motoring editor Ray Massey, nothing could upstage the Jaguar F-type.

Never mind Mustang Sally. It was more 'Mustang Sienna' as the actress Sienna Miller helped the global launch of the latest classic Ford Mustang.

Nifty, nimble and willing 1.6-litre 156 bhp petrol engine linked to a smooth six-speed manual gearbox, which helped propel the car from rest to 62 mph in just 8.2 seconds.

What better way to banish the blues than to contemplate - subject to a lottery win - having some fun behind the wheel of the new Lamborghini Huracán?

The second worst car was the Mercedes-Benz B-Class (2005- 2012) managing just 42.6 mpg compared with the claimed 59.6 mpg (71.8 per cent).

Ray Massey, motoring editor, brings the news of the Geneva Motoring Show 2014. He reports on the latest Audi's birthday car and the outbreak of furnishing wars.

She is known for her individual style, so it should come as no surprise that singer VV Brown has partnered with Vauxhall Motors to personalise and design her very own Vauxhall ADAM car.

Melanie Sykes, who is the new presenter of BT Sport's MotoGP TV coverage, has opted for the nippy Fiat 500 super-mini convertible.

Land Rover is to create a baby version of its perennial Discovery. And more than a year ahead of its official UK launch, a disguised version of the Discovery Sport has been spotted on a British road, done out in somewhat offputting paint and trim.

Ford unveiled its smart new Edge fiveseater sports utility vehicle this week. The Edge will go on sale here next year from around £30,000

The Audi S3 feels smart, comfortable, sporty and grown-up, but also great fun says RAY MASSEY. The stop-start system also switches off the engine to save fuel.

Priced from £32,395 to £42,995, the baby 'Disco' goes on sale in January alongside the existing full-size sevenseater Discovery.

Suzuki's new global city car offers very low CO2 emissions of 99g/km, 'class leading luggage capacity' of 254 litres and its AGS system also allows a low-speed 'creep' facility