A young motorist says "dangerous" riding by cyclists in a national race yesterday left her terrified.
While driving from Turakina to Whanganui yesterday, cyclists taking part in the BDO Wellington to Auckland Cycle Challenge passed her on the left, forcing her to move to the right and into the path of oncoming traffic.
"It was either that or hit them - there was nowhere for me to go but over into the right hand lane."
She encountered the cyclists after turning on to State Highway 3 from Reynolds Road and heading for Whanganui about noon. She slowed to 30km/h an hour.
She said she saw a marshall's car at the front of one group and a car with flashing lights at the rear but there were more cyclists behind that vehicle.
"They were coming through in groups rather than single file and to my left.
"What they were doing was terribly, terribly dangerous."
"There are signs saying share the road.
"I was but they weren't."
She said organisers need to be more aware of "what's happening during the race".
"There didn't seem to be anyone watching what was going on where I was."
She went to the Whanganui Police Station and made a complaint. She said the woman at the front desk said the police had received other complaints about the race.
Calls to Whanganui police were unable to verify the complaint yesterday as an earlier shift had gone home.
Race organiser Stephen Cox said the police had not been in touch with them aobut the complaint.
He said race organisers had to "go through hoops" to ensure safe use of roads during the race and the "last thing we want to do is upset the public".