Five arrests after protesters halt men’s road race in UCI Cycling World Championships

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

The race was paused with a little over 190 kilometres of the 271km distance remaining

Protesters held up the elite men’s road race for almost an hour at the UCI Cycling World Championships on Sunday.

A narrow stretch of the B818 close to the Carron Valley Reservoir, west of Falkirk, was blocked as the peloton made its way from Edinburgh to Glasgow, with the race paused after riders had completed around 80 kilometres of the 271km total distance.

The race was stopped at around 11.20am and resumed just before 12.15pm.

Police Scotland said five protesters 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 had been part of a nine-strong breakaway that had gone seven minutes clear of the main pack, and were the first to be stopped by officials as the race was neutralised.

With the 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.

UCI president David Lappartient, who had been following the race from one of the lead cars, also walked up the road and was seen enjoying a joke with some of the riders as he tried to explain to them what was happening.

French rider Julian Alaphilippe took the opportunity to pose for a selfie with a race official, while fellow former world champion Michal Kwiatkowski sat crossed legged on the floor, with others keeping warm in team cars.

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.