AN independence supporter was told to "hide" their Yes flags at the finish line of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) World Championships elite men’s road race.

The 271km elite road race on Sunday August 6 started in Edinburgh before seeing racers head over the Queensferry Crossing and west across the central belt. 

The finish line was in Glasgow's George Square, where a fan zone has also been set up for the UCI event.

But one Yesser was told they couldn’t take their pro-independence flags out by security staff at the UCI official fan area. After the confrontation, they took to social media.

In a now deleted tweet, they wrote: “Went to #UCIWorldChampionships in George Square to buy some merch but our umbrella and Saltires were not welcome. Cheerio then! #bigmistakehuge."

READ MORE: Scottish independence supporters wave flags at UCI World Championships

The Yesser later told The National: “The umbrella was the initial problem as it was too large – which is just ridiculous – but my Saltires had ‘Yes’ on them.

“I was told I had to hide them and not bring them out as they were political which I had no intention of doing – we just went to buy a souvenir.

"It's just a nuisance really and not worth bothering about.”

Yes Saltires have been spotted elsewhere on the cycling championship routes. 

When approached, a Glasgow Life spokesperson said: “Flags and banners associated with organisations or causes are not permitted within venues.”

As well as being used as the location for the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships’ official fan area, George Square is hosting the road race finishes and their medal ceremonies.

The men's elite road race was won by Dutch cyclist Mathieu van der Poel, despite a late crash in wet weather. 

Belgium's Wout van Aert came home in second while the Slovenian double Tour de France winner Tadej Pogačar took the bronze.