World Cycling Championships road race halted due to protesters

Protestors have disrupted the elite men’s road race at the UCI Cycling World Championships in Scotland.

The race was paused with a little over 190 kilometres of the 271km distance remaining, with the road from Edinburgh to Glasgow blocked west of Falkirk.

The protest took place on a narrow stretch of the B818 close to the Carron Valley Reservoir.

Police Scotland said five protestors had been arrested as Scottish environmental campaign group This Is Rigged claimed responsibility for the protest.

Britain’s Owain Doull and Ireland’s Rory Townsend were part of a nine-strong breakaway that had gone seven minutes clear of the main peloton, and were the first to be stopped by officials as the race was neutralised.

With the main peloton then also stopping behind, a police van was seen cutting its way through the mass of riders on the road in order to reach the protest.

A statement from the UCI said: “Further to Police Scotland’s confirmation of a protest in the Carron Valley area, which has temporarily interrupted the men’s road race, we are working closely with all relevant authorities to minimise disruption to the race and also to ensure the safety of riders as our paramount concern.”

When the race did finally resume, the riders could be seen passing over large white patches on the road surface where the protest had taken place.

The breakaway riders were given a head start to reclaim their seven-minute advantage on the approach to the Crow Road climb.

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