This weekend’s racing was decimated by the weather, with a stage of the Setmana Valenciana stage race cancelled and the two-day Vuelta a la Región de Murcia reduced to a quarter of that.
Extreme weather protocols were put in place in both races in the face of high-speed wind conditions that saw riders blown off the road and made continuing too hazardous.
However, the organisers of the Vuelta Murcia in particular probably did not bank on their race being decimated in the way it was. On stage one after less than 10km of racing it became obvious that conditions were simply not safe to continue, and thus the riders were relocated in buses to Fortuna, further along the planned route, where the race restarted. This left just 83km – around half of the original planned 178.5km of the race.
This didn’t stop riders taking what remained by the scruff of the neck though, with a break quickly forming and a strong Marc Soler (UAE Team Emirates) attacking with, and then dropping, team-mate Julius Johansen, and Tom Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36.5) attacking from the chase group to take third.
These GC standings remained exactly as they were at the end of the following (and final) stage, which was neutralised after just 10km of racing and no GC given.
The women’s Setmana Ciclista Volta Feminina de la Communitat Valenciana was less badly hit, with Saturday’s third stage of four cancelled altogether but the only stage affected. The three remaining stages provided enough substance for double stage and overall winner Demi Vollering (FDJ United-SUEZ) to demonstrate her early season form, while Cat Ferguson (Movistar, winner of stage two and seventh on stage four) and Maeva Squiban (UAE Team ADQ, 2nd on GC and stage one and 3rd stage four) also showed well.
Right on cue, the weather in eastern Spain has returned this week to something resembling normality – warm with a breeze that will slowly die down over the next few days.
However, with a greater focus on rider safety and extreme weather protocols forming a significant part of that – along with climate change effects that seem to be making themselves heard ever louder – this weekend is unlikely to be the last time we see races shortened and cancelled this season. Stage one of the men’s UAE Tour, on Monday, was also shortened due to the wind.
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