Twitter reacts to the cancellation of Dubai Tour stage four
Marcel Kittel and John Degenkolb were among the riders praising the decision to cancel stage four of the Dubai Tour due to high winds.

Riders and officials at the Dubai Tour were unanimous in their belief that cancelling stage four of the race due to high winds was the correct decision.
The race's queen stage was affected by sandstorms and excessively high winds from the start, and after first reducing the stage in length and rerouting it to include three ascents of Hatta Dam, organisers RCS Sport eventually said that the race was unable to continue given the conditions.
It means that Marcel Kittel - winner of the first two stages and the victim of a punch yesterday - is on the verge of winning the tour for the second successive year, with just tomorrow's expected sprint finish to come.
Kittel was one of the first to back the organisers, writing on Twitter:
John Degenkolb, who could have feasibly inherited the leader's jersey off Kittel if the stage had been allowed to go ahead, also backed the decision.
One Pro Cycling founder Matt Prior agreed with the decision, too.
Trek-Segafredo's American rider Kiel Reignen believes that the right choice was made given safety issues, before explaining the difficulty of racing in such conditions.
With a series of high-profile disagreements between riders and the UCI in recent years, Rory Sutherland says today's ruling was a big step forward.
Aqua Blue Sport's Stefan Denifl raised a similar point.
Riders, including reportedly Mark Cavendish, proposed a time trial, but UCI regulations would not have approved it.
Thank you for reading 10 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Chris first started writing for Cycling Weekly in 2013 on work experience and has since become a regular name in the magazine and on the website. Reporting from races, long interviews with riders from the peloton and riding features drive his love of writing about all things two wheels.
Probably a bit too obsessed with mountains, he was previously found playing and guiding in the Canadian Rockies, and now mostly lives in the Val d’Aran in the Spanish Pyrenees where he’s a ski instructor in the winter and cycling guide in the summer. He almost certainly holds the record for the most number of interviews conducted from snowy mountains.
-
-
Is the bike industry divided over new tire and wheel rim-size regulations?
New recommendations have created a split within the world's tyre and rim organisation
By Hannah Bussey • Published
-
British bike company Planet X saved after sale to private equity firm
Yorkshire company's 33 employees transferred to new owners following seven week sale process
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Meet the Belgian champion who moved to Dubai to join the police cycling team
Kim de Baat hopes the new UAE Tour Women will inspire local Emirati riders
By Tom Davidson • Published
-
Dubai Tour leader Elia Viviani wary of threats to overall victory ahead of final stage
The Italian holds the lead by four seconds, and needs to prevent those closest to him in GC from taking the time bonuses on stage five
By Vern Pitt • Published
-
‘I didn’t realise how steep the final climb was’: Brandon McNulty reflects on Dubai Tour solo effort near miss
The young American was caught agonisingly close to the line on the uphill finish to Hatta Dam
By Vern Pitt • Published
-
Mark Cavendish rues missed opportunity after Dubai Tour stage three win
The Manxman expressed regret at stopping his sprint early on stage two, which could have cost him the chance to take the overall lead in the race
By Vern Pitt • Published
-
Dylan Groenewegen blasts team mechanics after losing Dubai Tour lead through time penalty
The Dutchman moved out of the overall lead of the Dubai Tour after being penalised for drafting cars
By Vern Pitt • Published
-
Dylan Groenewegen loses Dubai Tour lead due to 20-second penalty for drafting team car
Dylan Groenewegen saw himself lose the overall lead of the Dubai Tour courtesy of a 20-second time penalty imposed for drafting behind his team car.
By Henry Robertshaw • Published
-
Mark Cavendish: 'I thought Viviani was going to die, but he just accelerated. I couldn't have gone any harder'
Dimension Data leader Mark Cavendish said he “couldn’t have gone harder” in the sprint on stage two of the Dubai Tour, which he lost to Elia Viviani.
By Vern Pitt • Published
-
Elia Viviani recovers from late puncture to win stage two of the Dubai Tour
Elia Viviani recovered from a puncture with 20km to go to out-sprint race leader Dylan Groenewegen on stage two of the Dubai Tour.
By Henry Robertshaw • Published