Jeff Mitchell/GettyThe Men’s Elite Road Race is taking place as day four of the UCI World Cycling Championships gets underway.
Cyclists are making the journey between Edinburgh and Glasgow in the 271km race that started in the capital at 9.30pm on Sunday.
The estimated finish time of the race is 4pm, however the race has been disturbed by protesters from This Is Rigged in the Carron Valley area.
It is not yet clear the nature of the protest, but it will likely push the estimated finish time forward as competitors are left frustrated.
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.
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.
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.
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.
After the road was cleared, organisers said the race would resume at 12.15pm, meaning a delay of around 55 minutes.
A statement from the championships 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.”
After starting in Edinburgh, the race goes through Fife, Clackmannanshire, Falkirk, Stirling and East Dunbartonshire before the finish line in Glasgow’s George Square.
Elsewhere in the championships events are being held at Glentress Forest, Chris Hoy Velodrome, Glasgow BMX Centre and Glasgow Green.
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