News reports from southwestern France this Tuesday suggest that local farmers engaged in the time-honoured activity of throwing bales of straw on to public roads in protest at something or other were violently interrupted by a mob of cyclists.

The cyclists, riding at breakneck speeds and blatantly ignoring the rules of the road, tried to force their way through the farmers' protest, alleging they were taking part in some race called the Tour de France.

Police quickly intervened, tear-gassing the cyclists copiously (another local tradition) and interrupting the race for several minutes.

According to reports, the rural road at the scene was later cleared of cyclists and returned to its rightful agricultural use.