Riders blown all over the road before Vuelta a la Murcia cancellation

Hours after the confirmed cancellation of stage 3 of the Setmana Valenciana, just over the regional border into Murcia, the organisers finally gave in to the wind and cancelled the second and final stage of the men's Vuelta a la Murcia. The decision came after about 20 km, with organisers neutralising the race after several riders lost control in the strong gusts. The peloton was then bussed to the finish town of Santomera for a showcase sprint and final ceremony. Emīls Liepiņš was first across the line at the end of a slow-motion sprint, but after just 15 minutes of makeshift racing, the win won't go on his palmarès. Marc Soler, meanwhile, was confirmed as overall winner ahead of teammate Julius Johansen after their two-man rampage on a blustery stage 1. Severe weather has had a lot to say this week, with wind influencing and/or stopping racing more than once on the southeastern coast of Spain, and bitterly cold, snowy conditions almost bringing the Tour de la Provence to a standstill in the south of France. With 'severe flood risks' still in place across much of Spain, and parts of Portugal and France, there may well be more races affected in coming days and even weeks.