Women’s tour, rain and hail on Chianciano Terme, first stage cancelled

A torrent of water forced the organizers to cancel the first stage of the Women’s Tour, a 4.5km time trial. The rain mixed with hail fell intensely on Chianciano Terme flooded the course making it impossible to continue the race with the necessary safety conditions. Thus, when about 80 of the 167 registered athletes had already completed the stage, the jury and the organization decided to cancel the stage. Joseph Revolt, technical collaborator of the race, indicated the impossibility of continuing the time trial with sweeping gestures in favor of the camera. The downpour started at 12.32 and continued for a couple of hours. At 14.37 the final stop with relative cancellation of the results acquired up to that moment.

Before the stage was cancelled, the provisional classification at the finish line saw Letizia Paternoster leading the race with a time of 5 minutes and 41 seconds. In second position, only 5 cents away, Annemiek Van Vleuten and in third Marianne Vos with a delay of 21 cents. “Sad to start the Women’s Giro with these weather conditions” wrote Annemiek Van Vleuten, the defending champion, “I had to start in the 1st block and the bottom was very slippery. On the straight I felt my rear wheel slip… I hope all the fallen girls are safe. It was a lottery, it was good to stop the race.” The jury applied the UCI protocol for extreme weather conditions. The Women’s Tour will resume with a stage from Bagno a Ripoli to Marradi for a total of 102 km.