Hill climbs are usually the most innocuous of cycling events as riders toil up one by one at - even for the best riders - uncontroversially low speeds. But that didn't stop a farmer from getting irate at the Mercia Cycling Club hill climb on Sunday and trying to disrupt the event by driving a tractor up and down the course.

On its Facebook page, the club said: "Unfortunately a local mad, angry farmer and his tractor intervened immediately following the event, swearing profusely and reversing said tractor up and down the course."

On the afternoon of the race, the club's Twitter account showed the rather large tractor on the course:

Breaking news ! Angry Farmer causes havoc with his tractor at @Mercia_CC HillClimb ... pic.twitter.com/QqAHEJ6Gk8 — Mercia Cycling Club (@Mercia_CC) October 19, 2014

The 23-rider hill climb on Woodruffes Cliff, Marchington was not affected but club officials thought better of trying to mix the planned freewheel contest with an angry man on a tractor and cancelled it.

They added: "Hopefully he will be locked up before 2015 Hillclimb."