Environmental protesters bring halt to men's road race at cycling world championships

GLASGOW, Scotland — A group of environmental protesters caused the men's road race at the cycling world championships to be delayed for more than 45 minutes Sunday, and officials near the town of Falkirk said five of the demonstrators had been arrested.

The group “This Is Rigged” posted on social media that it was responsible for the protest, which took place about 80 kilometers into the 271-kilometer route from Edinburgh to Glasgow. The UCI, cycling's world governing body, said in a statement it was “working closely with all relevant authorities to minimize disruption to the race and also to ensure the safety of riders.”

The protest interrupted an early breakaway, and the UCI allowed riders to sit in team cars and take in food and drink during the delay. Its president, David Lappartient, was on hand and chatted with several of the riders before the race resumed.

“This Is Rigged” says on its website that it is opposed to new fossil fuel projects in Scotland.

Some demonstrations were expected during the world championships, especially after British Cycling announced a partnership with oil and gas company Shell last year. The deal, which includes displaying the Shell logo on the team's jerseys, was met with significant backlash from environmental groups around the world.

Another group, “Just Stop Oil”, has protested at Wimbledon and the Ashes, a historic cricket test between England and Australia.

After the route was cleared Sunday, Dutch cyclist Mathieu van der Poel overcame a late crash to win the men's road race for the Netherlands. Wout van Aert pulled away for the silver medal and Tadej Pogačar outsprinted Mads Pedersen for the bronze.