A dramatic and confusing turn of events led to the cancellation of stage one of the Volta ao Algarve on Wednesday after riders veered off course during the sprint finish. Filippo Ganna, of the Ineos Grenadiers, was the only rider to correctly navigate the final kilometre and cross the finish line solo, while the rest of the peloton followed a camera motorbike down the wrong side of the barriers.
Race officials later declared the stage void, declaring no winner after the majority of riders followed a deviation off course in the final kilometre. The error occurred when the leading riders, influenced by race vehicles, mistakenly took a lane parallel to the finish line rather than the correct route.
Ganna, who was one of the few to take the proper turn, seized the opportunity and crossed the line alone. The race’s official decision came several hours later, with race director Sérgio Sousa explaining that the “sporting truth” had not prevailed.
“The College of Commissaires interpreted the regulations and, given what happened, decided to cancel the stage because they considered that sporting truth did not prevail in the end,” Sousa said in a statement. “The technical information was clear that the riders should go left at the last roundabout, but some took the right, which was a wrong decision.”
The final 2km of the stage featured two large roundabouts, the second of which led the peloton astray. Despite efforts from marshals to redirect riders, many followed the motorbikes off the course.
Ganna, initially confused by the events, commented after the race: “Everyone took the wrong way, and I took the [correct] one. You need to know the rules and the parcours. It’s the riders’ responsibility.”
Following the cancellation, Ineos Grenadiers expressed their disappointment on social media, emphasizing the importance of safety in cycling. “Cycling is tough. Some days you win, but most you lose. We’re thankful that everyone finished safely, but let’s use this opportunity to continue making cycling safer.”
Riders and teams voiced their frustration in the aftermath of the incident. Marco Haller from Tudor Pro Cycling criticized the lack of clear direction, calling the situation “poor” and “ridiculous.” He further questioned why riders should be blamed when officials failed to prevent the mistake. “We suffer 190km to put ourselves in the perfect position, and then it’s basically everything for nothing. It’s a joke.”
Arthur van Dongen, sports director for Visma-Lease a Bike, also voiced his concerns. “This was embarrassing,” he said. “Professional cycling is making a very bad impression with this situation. Rider safety must be the top priority, and that has been seriously lacking here. Fortunately, no serious accidents occurred, but this could have ended very badly. This is unacceptable.”
Despite the controversy, the Volta ao Algarve will continue on Thursday with a summit finish to Alto da Foia. The sprinters will have another opportunity to make amends on stage three, which offers a flat finish into Tavira.
Related topics
- Egan Bernal Injured at Clásica Jaén
- Pogačar Surprises in Sprint at UAE Tour’s Opening Stage
- The Case for an Indoor Olympics