The men’s cycling world championships road race in Scotland on Sunday came to an abrupt halt when protestors from the environmental group ‘This is Rigged’ blocked a remote country road between Edinburgh and Glasgow. Police Scotland confirmed that five people were arrested during the demonstration.
The protest disrupted the race with 190km to go, as protestors from ‘This is Rigged’ glued themselves to the road surface. In response, police spread powder on the road to mitigate the situation. The environmental group later issued a statement on social media, indicating that their protest targeted the race due to sponsorship by Ineos, a company involved in the production of diesel and petrol in Scotland.
As the men’s cycling road race has no earpieces for the riders, race stewards were compelled to halt the charging peloton on a narrow country lane near the Carron Valley Reservoir, approximately 50km outside Glasgow. David Lappartient, president of the world cycling governing body UCI, was present at the scene, attempting to calm the riders as tensions rose.
The UCI stated in a press release that they are closely collaborating with relevant authorities to minimise disruption to the race and prioritise rider safety. After a delay of 55 minutes, the race resumed, with the peloton facing nearly 200km to roll to the finish line, including 10 laps of a 14km circuit in downtown Glasgow.
The protestors first stopped the breakaway group, which had a lead of over six minutes, before forcing the peloton to dismount. Prominent race favourites, including defending champion Remco Evenepoel, Tadej Pogacar, Wout Van Aert, Mathieu van der Poel, and Julian Alaphilippe, were left waiting, engaging in discussions and even taking selfies.
Environmental activists often target sporting events to draw attention to climate and ecological issues. Cycle races are particularly vulnerable to such demonstrations due to their open and easily accessible terrain, spanning hundreds of kilometres.
In the past, ‘This is Rigged’ protestors have thrown red paint on the Scottish Parliament building and blocked refineries during a previous demonstration. Such protests aim to raise awareness about pressing environmental concerns, urging greater action to address the climate crisis.
