Scotland's largest bike ride, Pedal for Scotland, was targeted by saboteurs on Sunday with tacks spread along the route. At least 50 cyclists suffered punctures as a result of the incident, according to a report in the Herald.
Organisers of the 50-mile ride from Glasgow to Edinburgh confirmed that the incident took place between Limerigg and Avonbridge in Stirlingshire at around 9.30am on Sunday.
Over 9000 cyclists took part in this year's edition of Pedal for Scotland. The ride raises money for the STV Children's Appeal, a charity set up to combat child poverty.
Mechanical support on the ride was provided by Alpine Bikes, who confirmed it took more than four hours to work through the "challenging" volume of cyclists that had sustained punctures.
Andy Butler, senior buyer at Alpine Bikes, said: "It soon became apparent that there was a protest incident round Avonbridge where our two mechanics were inundated with people who had punctures.
"Tacks had been dangerously placed on a fairly narrow road, causing up to 50 punctures within a short space of time.
"Extra mechanics were sent in to help out and additional inner tubes provided, but it was challenging to cope with the volume of people and the number of tacks we pulled out of tyres.
"The tack incident caused a constant queue of around 30 people for more than four hours, even though each mechanic was finishing a repair every five minutes," he said.
This is the first year that Pedal for Scotland has been run on closed roads, leading to suspicions that the attack was carried out as a protest. Other sportives have been affected by similar attacks in recent years, incuding Velothon Wales and several incidents on rides through the New Forest in the south of England.
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