THOUSANDS of riders have descended on Hampshire today for one of the biggest cycling events of the year.

The Wiggle New Forest Spring Sportive will take in most of the towns and villages in the New Forest.

Cyclists started setting off on the 84-mile route at 7.40am with more than 2,000 people expected to zip through Lyndhurst, Brockenhurst and Bransgore among others.

Protesters tried to wreck the 2013 and 2014 events by sprinkling tacks in the road, causing a large number of punctures but no injuries. The would-be saboteurs were criticised for taking the law into their own hands and endangering the safety of entrants.

But the behaviour of cyclists has also come under fire in recent years, with critics accusing them of hurtling along narrow country lanes, swearing at motorists and even defecating at the roadside.

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Posters urging people to report any incidents to the authorities have sprung up across the Forest ahead of this weekend’s event.

The Sportive is the first major ride to take place in the district since the National Park Authority (NPA) approved a new charter that aims to ease tensions between residents and cyclists.

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