As high winds and many sandstorms swept across the stage four courses, the tour organizers had to cancel this stage of Dubai Tour the other day. Despite the riders performed the pre-race as usual, the race was impossible to start. Even though the riders headed to the start, it quickly became obvious enough that they would not be able to continue the race due to the strong winds.
After first consulting with the UCI commissioners and all team representatives, race organizers decided to cancel the fourth stage of Dubai Tour. This, right after the peloton has been due to depart at 13:00.
“Boys united” -Bernhard Eisel #dubaitour pic.twitter.com/qi7s7XCxWW
— Sophie Smith (@SophieSmith86) February 3, 2017
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This stage was the only one of Dubai Tour that included a ride on a hilly terrain. Since this stage got cancelled, it might mean that Marcel Kittel is more likely to win the title. It would be for the second season in a row since he currently leads the classification. Kittel is almost 8 seconds over Groenwegen.
Only this season, this is the second time that the UCI has been forced to cancel the races and take measures under the “extreme-weather” protocol. The stage one of the Tour Down Under was shortened as riders had to face temperatures that surpassed 40ºC.
