The opening event of the UCI Gran Fondo World Series in Perth, Australia, was marred by attempts to sabotage it and loud protests at the effect of road closings for the race.

Tacks thrown on the road caused crashes reported local news organization WA Today, but no serious injuries were reported.

"A whole lot of people went down - I was weaving my way through the carnage," rider Craig Hobart of Sydney told WA Today. "From conversations people were having at the end of the course, there was some indication on social media that people were going to put tacks on the roads."

Riders on the streets of Perth. Credit: UCI Gran Fondo World Series
Twitter and Facebook hosted the usual mix of angry rants and appeals for reason in both directions from those whose travel was disrupted and the biking community.

On the event's Facebook page Denise French reeled off a list of issues:

"Poor notice of road closures no maps of proposed route. No one to direct traffic at detours when Mitchell Reid Roe. and Toodgey as well as the great eastern highways closed. Truck drivers very Angry . You'll be lucky to have this event in September. A twenty minutes journey turned into a total farce of two hours of being blocked into a gridlock of huge proportions!"

Organizers defended the closures and the notice given.

Hobart had flown in from Sydney to prepare for the Championship, mentioned by French, which will run over the same course in September.

"I hear all the frustration and I really empathize but I also want people to know what a wonderful event those guys ran and the World Series will really showcase the state."

Perth has deep links to the UCI series. In 2011, Perth hosted the first installment of the UCI World Cycling Tour. This weekend's race was the first under the new World Series name.

The Grey County Road Race in Canada is the only North American stage in the 15-stop series.

Just under 1,000 riders tackled either a 142km or 117km course, starting at 6:30 am to avoid the worst of the heat of the southern hemisphere heat.

Ex-pro Patrick Joncker recorded the fastest men's time on the long course. Paul Miller took the honors over 117km. The women's race ended with an 11-strong sprint with Jessica Huston (F19-34), Laurelea Moss (F35-39) and Jeannie Blakemore from New Zealand (F40-44) winners in their age groups.

402 riders took part in Friday's 16-km/10-mile time trail along the Swan River that runs through Perth.

The Gran Fondo exploits the beautiful scenery of Western Australia. Credit: UCI Gran Fondo World Series
2016 UCI Gran Fondo World Series

11-13 March        UCI GF World Series Perth, Australia

2 April                  Forrest Grape Ride, New Zealand

22-24 April           Rhodes Gran Fondo, Greece

6-8 May                Gran Fondo Denmark

26 May                 Road Brazil Ride

27-29 May            Grey County Road Race, Canada

29 May                 L'Albigeoise, France

4-5 June               Tour of Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom

10-12 June           Maraton Franja, Slovenia

10 July                  Niseko Classic, Japan

15-17 July             La Leggendaria Charly Gaul, Italy

1-4 September      UCI GF World Championships, Australia

11-13 September  Poznan Bike Challenge, Poland

13 September       Amy's GF, Australia

18 October            Amashova Durban Classic, South Africa

 

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