Riders weave their way through civilian traffic nearing the end of the wet stage, with race organisers saying they did not have enough people to control traffic.
Leigh Howard (IAM Cycling) may have been the one celebrating a win in sodden conditions at the end of the opening stage of the Tour des Fjords but not everyone was happy.
Coming towards the finish a moto led the majority of the peloton off course at a junction.
And while the official quickly stopped and corrected himself and was followed back onto the right course by the riders, the damage was done.
Three riders, including Howard, continued straight, and while their short detour quickly brought them back on course, others complained it had given an unfair advantaged to the trio.
And inside the final 3km the riders met civilian traffic on the road (clip just below), with the race organisers saying only 170 of the 200 people promised to control traffic had been delivered.
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#TourDesFjords Chapuza catastrófica en la carrera noruega. Los corredores compitiendo por tráfico abierto pic.twitter.com/wnbKngUrh8
— Road&Mud (@_RoadAndMud) August 31, 2016
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In the end Australian Howard got the better of breakaway companion Jesper Asselman (Roompot - Oranje Peloton) to take the stage into Bergen by three seconds, with August Jensen (Team Coop-Øster Hus) a further three seconds back in 3rd.
The breakaway only held on by six seconds from the main field, leading to accusations the mishap and detour by those who snatch victory had effectively settled the outcome of the stage.
Chief amongst those to voice his displeasure was Alexander Kristoff (Katusha).
He had taken the intermediate sprint earlier and was clearly gunning for stage honours and the race lead.
He said the leaders gained 30 seconds when the mishap occurred with just over 15km remaining in the 146km race and he felt the race would be stopped and restarted.
He added a small number of riders had continued through a tunnel and taken a short cut to the right when everybody else followed the moto as it corrected itself having initially taken the wrong exit at the junction.
Even stage winner Howard said he thought there would be a re-start and understood other riders were frustrated.
The junction where the damage was done; a moto took the wrong turn and the riders followed him. However, some found themselves riding through traffic when they continued.
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