"The UCI championships have been sponsored by some pretty evil corporations like Shell and Ineos, which is quite ironic" - protesters provide explanation for their demonstration
Cycling
The UCI Road World Championships elite men's road race was stopped after 80km of racing for over 50 minutes on Sunday when protesters blocked the road. Four demonstrators from a group called 'This is Rigged' glued themselves to the road and chained themselves together ahead of the race, bringing both groups to a halt.
A Scottish environmental group called 'This is Rigged' confirmed to Cyclingnews that they staged the protest. The group aims to stop the Scottish government from approving new fossil fuel projects in the country and create a transition fund for oil and gas workers.
"Today the men's World championship UCI cycling four protesters from This is Rigged jumped onto the track in front of the race and glued themselves onto the road and also locked themselves to one another using chains and bike locks," said the organisation's spokesperson Lewis Conroy of Glasgow.
"The UCI championships have been sponsored by some pretty evil corporations like Shell and Ineos, so you can really see how it taints the idea that cycling is good for the planet and good for the environment when you have these ridiculously polluting corporations sponsoring it. It's a bit ironic and that was also part of the idea behind the protest," Conroy said.
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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santiagobenites10-11-2026 - You're WRONG!!! ... Capish?PogiSloFans10-11-2026
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leedorney10-11-2026
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Tadej Pogacar wordt uit de mixed zone geleid op dit moment. Hij is dizzy en staat op het punt om ineen te storten, laat de UCI weten. #GlasgowScotland2023 @CyclingWorlds
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