Bluewater International GranFondo - August 4th 2024 - Register Now!
United States | Midwest | Ohio >> Dubai Tour: Stage 4 Cancelled Due to Extreme Weather

Dubai Tour: Stage 4 Cancelled Due to Extreme Weather

Race officials at the Dubai Tour announced the complete cancellation of Stage 4 as result of the weather conditions

Following an initial decision to shorten the stage due to the heavy wind in Hatta, the race later announced that it had decided to remove the stage from the schedule altogether.

"Based on the poor current weather conditions in Hatta, and the forecast for further deterioration later, the Race Management, in agreement with the Commissaires Panel, have applied the UCI's Extreme Weather Protocol and have cancelled today's Stage 4 of the Dubai Tour," it said in a statement.

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

As a result, the race's final standings will be decided in Saturday's fifth and final stage which takes place on a local circuit in the city of Dubai. 

VIDEO: Stage 3: Riders Battered by Sand Storm in Dubai

Stage 3 of the Dubai Tour descended into chaos as the peloton and support teams were battered by fierce winds whipping up a full-on sand storm

Scene's from today's stage emulated parts of the film, the Mummy.

Several teams have posted dramatic footage showing riders and support staff in unimaginable choking conditions. 

The sandstorm split the peloton into pieces with echelons of riders scattered all over the roads and team support cars doing their best to protect riders by sheltering them from the sandstorm. 

Several support staff can be seen being rescued from the side of the road choking from the affects of the storm.

It's not 100% clear what happened in the peloton, but it's reported that race leader Marcel Kittel (Quick Step Floors) and John Degenkolb (Trek-Segafredo) were amongst those who were split off the front of the field.

Due to the chaos, the race was neutralised following a number of crashes and the peloton came back together.

It was after the peloton re-grouped that it became clear that Marcel Kittel had been elbowed in the face by an Astana rider.

 

VIDEO: Marcel Kittel elbowed in the face by Astana rider Andrei Grivko

Kittel left with a deep cut and bloody face after altercation midway through Stage 3 of the Dubai Tour

Quick-Step Floors team manager Patrick Lefevere has stated that Kittel was “beaten by an Astana rider” on the chaotic stage 3 of the Dubai Tour today.

High cross winds and sandstorms affected the stage, which saw the peloton split andK ittel losing contact with the front of the race.

The echelon packs fought hard to bridge back up to the front of the peloton. It was at this point we got to see the extent of Kittel's injury.

Kittel was seen looking very distressed at the back of the peloton, clearly unhappy, making gestures to the race officials that he had been elbowed in the face.

It isn't the first time Astana have been acccused of causing a dispute that lead to violence in the peloton, in 2015 Dmitry Gruzdev reportly started a braul mid way through a stage.

More on this incident soon, as surely there will be an official complaint made by QuickStep-Floors to the race officials.

After the stage Andrei Grivko from Astana was subsequently disqualified from race.

VIDEO

 

VIDEO

 

VIDEO

 

VIDEO: 2017 Dubai Tour Stage 3 Highlights

 
Tag: dubaitour
 
Feb 08 2018 - NEWS: Mark Cavendish produces magnificent sprint for stage victory at Dubai Tour
Apr 20 2017 - NEWS: Grivko suspended for hitting Marcel Kittel
Feb 04 2017 - NEWS: Kittel Defends His Dubai Tour Title
Feb 03 2017 - NEWS: Dubai Tour: Stage 4 Cancelled Due to Extreme Weather
Feb 02 2017 - NEWS: VIDEO: Marcel Kittel elbowed in the face by Astana rider Andrei Grivko
Feb 02 2017 - NEWS: Degenkolb sprints to first win in Dubai
Feb 02 2017 - NEWS: VIDEO: Riders Battered by Sand Storm
Feb 01 2017 - NEWS: Marcel Kittel powers to a second stage victory in Dubai
Jan 31 2017 - NEWS: Marcel Kittel Sprints to opening Stage Victory at Dubai Tour
Jan 30 2017 - NEWS: Kittel, Cavendish and Viviani Prepare for Battle in Dubai
 
Tag: livestream
 
Dec 19 2020 - NEWS: 2021 Pro Cycling LIVE Coverage Calendar
May 10 2017 - NEWS: Brutal last week at the Giro d'Italia
May 19 2017 - NEWS: George Bennett time trials into yellow at Big Bear lake
May 19 2017 - NEWS: Gaviria wins his fourth stage before the peloton hits the Brutal mountain stages
May 18 2017 - NEWS: Andrew Talansky Takes Mount Baldy Stage Win
May 17 2017 - NEWS: Rally Cycling One - Two on stage four of the Tour of California
May 17 2017 - NEWS: Omar Fraile wins dramatic 11th stage at the Giro d'Italia
May 16 2017 - NEWS: Tom Dumoulin Takes Maglia Rosa After Stage 10 Victory
May 16 2017 - NEWS: Rafal Majka makes his mark in the mountains, taking stage victory and GC lead at Tour of California
May 16 2017 - NEWS: Toms Skujins crashes heavily at the Tour of California
May 15 2017 - NEWS: Anna van der Breggen wins Amgen Women’s Race
May 13 2017 - NEWS: USA's Coryn Rivera from Team SubWeb wins stage 3
May 12 2017 - NEWS: Katie Hall wins the Queen Stage
May 11 2017 - NEWS: Megan Guarnier wins uphill sprint at South Lake Tahoe
May 11 2017 - NEWS: Silvan Dillier claims his first Grand Tour stage win