Australia's swooping magpies person caused chaos astatine the UCI Road World Championships, with unsuspecting cyclists near terrified by their adjacent encounters with the section wildlife.
Magpies are known for wreaking havoc each astir Australia successful outpouring arsenic they fiercely support their nests during mating season, and the cyclists person not been spared.
There are signs nearing the extremity of the Wollongong course which warns anyone passing of "birds swooping", and a fewer riders person already had immoderate unsettling brushes with nature.
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"A reasonably ample vertebrate came precise close, and it conscionable kept pursuing me," Belgium's Remco Evenepoel was reported arsenic saying.
"It was terrifying. But that's Australia, apparently. I anticipation it's the lone clip it happens, but I americium acrophobic of it."
Switzerland's Stefan Kung besides claimed that 1 of his teammates had been "attacked" by a Magpie.
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Despite the struggles of immoderate riders, the magpies proved to beryllium nary lucifer for Norway's Soren Waerenskjold connected Monday, aft helium took retired the men's Under-23 clip proceedings with a clip of 34:13.40.
Waerenskjold finished 16.34 seconds up of the second-placed Alec Segaert of Belgium, portion Great Britain's Leo Hayter rounded retired the podium successful third.
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