A Fortingall farmer has hit out at Etape Caledonia organisers after he was left to clear up litter dumped by cyclists.
Alastair Kininmonth collected dozens of discarded plastic bottles and foil energy gel wrappers from a two-mile stretch of road near his land.
The annual event sees hundreds of cyclists take a gruelling 81-mile route through Highland Perthshire which begins and ends in Pitlochry.
Mr Kininmonth said: “This cycle race comes round every year and every year I have to pick up litter. This year was exceptionally bad because it’s the first year they’ve had these plastic drinks bottles.
“I’ve nothing against cyclists, but I don’t like having to drive along a two-mile stretch and pick up this litter. It’s very annoying, to say the least.”
His wife, Angela, added: “You get fined for dropping litter in other places, and we’re in Perth, one of the most beautiful parts of the country. We think it’s disgusting.”
Event organisers IMG Challenger World insist they work closely with the council to clear up after the event.
A spokeswoman said: “We ensure the entire route is swept for litter following the event. The council also encourage residents to send in photographs of litter found on the route and report to them so they can dispatch litter pickers.”
A council spokeswoman said: “In the last four years we have not received any complaints of this nature.”
She added: “Each year we check the entire route of the Etape Caledonia the day after the event and no significant issues with litter have been identified as a result.”
IMG Challenger World said they “always strive to improve our process” and pledged to check the route three times after next year’s event.
“We will task our feed station managers to litter pick across their sectors on event day,” she said. “This, combined with a sweep by the event managers and the current sweep from the council, will mean that, effectively, the whole course will be checked three times.”