Riders unhappy at Road World Championships after time trial is waterlogged

Organisers have been criticised after allowing the World Championships in Yorkshire to start despite dire wet conditions on Tuesday which left some riders aquaplaning on two wheels.

Attila Valter and Stefan Bissegger were among those to slide across the road as conditions wreaked havoc during the under-23 men’s time trial.

And Swiss Bissegger said: “It was like riding into a lake. I lost control and just plunged into the water, like diving into a bathtub. You can’t do anything about it. I was ok but it could have been very ugly for a lot of people. In my opinion it should have been cancelled or something. It was crazy.”

The poor weather is expected to continue and, as a result, Friday’s men’s under-23 road race has had a lap of the course cut. It had been scheduled to finish at 7pm but there were concerns over poor light in the anticipated conditions.

The men’s individual time trial takes place on Wednesday with Britain’s Alex Dowsett and John Archibald in action, the latter a replacement for Geraint Thomas, who pulled out because he was “not good enough to perform at my best”.