Commonwealth Games Diary: Sri Lankan cyclists go training – on a motorway

Four members of Sri Lanka’s Commonwealth Games team sparked a police response after going for a ride down one of Scotland’s busiest stretches of motorway.

The quartet were spotted cycling down the M74 near Glasgow before police intervened near the exit for Motherwell and Hamilton and informed them they were breaking the law.

The junction is close to Strathclyde Park, which hosts the triathlon events on Thursday and Saturday.

Police Scotland confirmed they had been called to a report of four cyclists on the M74 at Junction Six at around 11.55am today. A police spokeswoman said: “Police attended. Advice and assistance was given and the cyclists were advised to get off the road.”

The spokeswoman confirmed they were from the Sri Lanka team and said the cycles were taken away on a team vehicle.

A similar episode occurred during the Manchester Games in 2002 when two Kenya cyclists travelled 17 miles down the M61 before being pulled over by police near Bolton.

‘Warrior’ Barnes rocks out with his ‘poetic side’

Dreadlocked Jamaican cyclist Robert Barnes will be his country’s first participant in the Commonwealth Games mountain-bike event but he also plays guitar.

“I have a band and I will be taking some CDs of my own music to some of my favourite riders who I hope to meet,” he told Jamaica’s Gleaner newspaper.

“I have a nice little rock band. I play guitar, I write songs and I sing, so I have that kind of balance, where I am a bit of a warrior athlete, but at the same time I have the poet side of me.”

Tendulkar surprise drives Sindhu to succeed

India’s V P Sindhu is wondering what the cricketing hero Sachin Tendulkar might do next if she lives up to her top seeding and wins the women’s singles badminton.

When Sindhu, 19, became the first Indian to win the Junior Asian Championship two years ago, the nation’s most famous sportsman was generously impressed.

“I met him. He said, ‘Well done’, congratulated me, and he gave me a car,” Sindhu said.

“I was very happy. It was a real surprise.”

Commonwealth memories

Thursday marks the start of competition but the last time the Games took place on these shores – in Manchester 12 years ago – the action got under way before the opening ceremony. In 2002 the 1m diving springboard finals were the first to take place – Jane Smith took bronze for England in the women’s while Tony Ally got silver in the men’s competition.

Twitterwatch

@LauraTrott31 Lovely meeting @BethyWoodward today while having massage... One to watch at these commies

@jonny_brownlee Just seen the Sri Lankan cycling team on the M74. Suppose it is a nice wide road!!