The oil and gas activists This Is Rigged claim to have disrupted the 271km UCI Cycling World Championships men’s road race in Scotland, forcing the peloton to stop for almost an hour on the approach to the Crow Road, near Glasgow.
After the race was neutralised a little over 190km into the action, a statement from the UCI read: “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.”
- Download the Guardian app from the iOS App Store on iPhone or the Google Play store on Android by searching for 'The Guardian'.
- If you already have the Guardian app, make sure you’re on the most recent version.
- In the Guardian app, tap the Menu button at the bottom right, then go to Settings (the gear icon), then Notifications.
- Turn on sport notifications.
It was reported that a group of protesters had glued themselves to the road, in theory allowing enough room for the riders to pass, but preventing vehicles in the convoy, including support cars and ambulances, from passing. Police Scotland said five protesters had been arrested.
Subsequently, This Is Rigged posted on social media: “The fact that Ineos has been allowed to sponsor a team in the race around the Campsie Fells – which were engulfed in wildfires last month – is a disgrace and an insult to both the cycling community and the people of Scotland.”
The world championships are raced on a national federation basis and the Ineos Grenadiers-sponsored team are not competing, although some of their riders are riding under their national flags. It was reported that a spokesperson also said the protest “isn’t about cycling”.
The statement continued: “We cannot continue with business as usual while our country burns and our futures are ruined. Time is of the essence and we need to act like it. The Scottish government must stand up to Westminster and oppose all new oil and gas, and implement a fair transition now.”
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. After the road was cleared, the race resumed at 12.15pm, meaning a delay of about 55 minutes, and the breakaway riders were given a head start to reclaim their advantage.
The Men’s Elite Road Race has been neutralised due to a protest ❌ pic.twitter.com/kRKAbMyTER
— Eurosport (@eurosport) August 6, 2023
The 2022 Tour de France was subject to environmental protests and activists were quickly removed and then held overnight. There have also been a series of recent protests at major sporting events by Just Stop Oil in the UK, including those by Just Stop Oil. Last month the Open Championship was interrupted briefly at Hoylake, while three people made it on to court 18 at Wimbledon, showering the grass with orange confetti and pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. During the men’s Ashes Test at Lord’s, a protester was removed from the field of play by the England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow. In April, play at the World Snooker Championship was delayed after a man released powdered orange paint into the Crucible theatre in Sheffield and sat kneeling on a baize table.
