In an embarrassing turn of events, riders on the freshly reinaugurated Tour of Britain have complained that conditions on stage one of the event were at times very dangerous as, unbelievably, cars moved alongside the peloton, reports the BBC.

Marshals seemed to be overwhelemed by the scale of the event, said several of the riders. Italian rider Italian Andrea Peron told the Guardian newspaper that cars were asked to stop, but refused to do so: “The first 10 guys would pass, then the cars would move with the peloton.” According to the BBC, about half the field wanted to stop the race soon after the start.

Race directors acknowledged that there was a problem and said that the police support would be ‘extended’, saying that it had been many years since the authorities had dealt with an event on this scale.

And the really embarrassing thing? That English car drivers apparently care not a whit for cyclists’ safety, even under the glare of media and police attention.

Thanks to forum users for the tip-off.