Angry Birds – World Championships riders fear attacks from swooping magpies

Wout van Aert, Jasper Stuyven and Yves Lampaert in training
Wout van Aert, Jasper Stuyven and Yves Lampaert in training (Image credit: Getty Images)

Each and every rider at the 2022 UCI Road World Championships will, of course, be wearing a helmet - an obligatory measure to defend against head injuries in the event of crashes.

But the lids will serve a secondary function in Wollongong, as riders brace themselves for swooping attacks from above. 

Patrick Fletcher

Patrick is a freelance sports writer and editor. He’s an NCTJ-accredited journalist with a bachelor’s degree in modern languages (French and Spanish). Patrick worked full-time at Cyclingnews for eight years between 2015 and 2023, latterly as Deputy Editor.

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