New Delhi : The capital's first brush with an international road cycling event touted by many as a trial run for the Commonwealth Games on Aug 29 ended with cyclists lambasting the quality of the track.

Rubble lying in and around the cycle track in Connaught Place made cycling difficult. To make matters worse, thick dust affected visibility. Two cyclists even suffered injuries fortunately, only minor ones.

"One cyclist fell down near LIC Bhawan in Connaught Place. His cycle hit the pavement while he was practising. The impact was such that the rim of the front wheel got distorted. The other cyclist got injured as he fell down while trying to overtake another participant. His cycle skidded due to the rubble," said sources.

Akil Khan, managing director of ID sports, the event's organizing body, confirmed the injuries. "One of them was treated in the tent itself and the other one, who is a professional, had to be taken to the hospital for treatment," said Khan.

The event, which saw participants from 10 countries including South Africa, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Holland and Belgium was flagged off by CWG Organising Committee Chairman Suresh Kalmadi. But things went rapidly downhill almost immediately thereafter.

Almost all participants complained of uneven tracks and faulty cycles. Said Arran Brown (South Africa), the winner of the international-elite, "The bollards (barriers) put in the middle of the road kept falling. Due to this, it became very tough for us to maintain high speed. Also, there was rubble lying on the road at places."

Sherin from Philippines had to quit the race due to a flat tire. He complained, "I was leading the race in the first lap, but my tyre burst. It hit a small sharp rock on the track. The organizers should keep such things in mind. No one provided me with a spare tyre, although they were carrying spare tyres."

Another problem witnessed during the mega event was that people could be seen criss-crossing the road even as the race went on. With the subways in Connaught Place closed for renovation, impatient pedestrians could be seen flouting traffic rules in front of the policemen and crossing the road or the circuit. Stray dogs were also seen on the cycling track.

Apart from the international elite race, there were four categories of cycling contests which included the national elite ride (50 km), junior ride (5 km) and corporate ride (25 km). The cyclothon which began at 7am in the morning and ended by 12.30 pm was flagged off from Parliament Street. It covered city areas like Patel Chowk, Janpath, Rajpath, Vijay Chowk and Connaught Place. While OC Chairman Suresh Kalmadi flagged off the cycling event, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit was present to award the winners. Dikshit did not speak to the media.

Talking about the preparations, Kalmadi said, "We can trace any defects in the management by keeping an eye on this event. Cycling will be an important event in the final games. I am sure that cycling will catch up all over the country with events like these."