The Tour of the Algarve was branded as “ridiculous” and a “joke” on Wednesday when a pack of riders took the wrong road and completely missed the finish line.
With about 800m left on the opening stage, most of the peloton took a right-hand exit, reserved for officials and team cars, at a roundabout instead of the left, which headed to the finish.
Only about 30 riders chose the correct route, including Filippo Ganna, who came home ahead of Frenchman Romain Gregoire and Jan Christen of Switzerland.
Photo: EPA-EFE
However, their joy was short-lived as the stage was swiftly canceled and Ganna’s career wins total remains at 33.
“It’s a joke! It’s completely ridiculous!” Austrian rider Marco Haller said.
“The diversion was not blocked off. As a result, the riders followed the motorcycle [of the organization]. There could have been consequences... Fortunately, that was not the case,” he said.
Belgium’s Jordi Meeus, for whom Haller “had ridden for 190km,” railed at having been deprived of a stage win.
“I only realized 200m from the line that there was a problem when we passed police motorcycles. It’s a shame this missed opportunity. The main thing is that no spectator was injured,” he told Flemish Web site Sporza.
His compatriot Wout van Aert, one of the favorites for the stage, was dumbfounded by the chaotic conclusion, which saw the peloton weaving its way around bemused spectators.
“It’s not possible... This road should have been closed,” Van Aert said.
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