Traffic and lack of police support force stage two annulment
The Tour of South Africa organisers cancelled the second stage of its race today due to traffic on the road.
“No results today,” said the organiser, via Twitter. “No dope controls.”
The stage was due to travel 163 kilometres around Montecasino, near Johannesburg. Clint Hendriks (Tasol GT), Chris Jennings (Team Burgos 2016) and Johann van Zyl (Toyota CSA) were in an escape when the race first neutralised.
After several attempts to re-start and threats by the riders to strike, organisers annulled the stage. Lack of police support is said to have led to the problem of traffic entering the course.
Brit Kristian House of team Rapha Condor Sharp remains the race leader. He won the first stage in Montecasino yesterday.
“CSA [Cycling South Africa] made the call to cancel the stage due to safety concerns, its unfortunate & disappointing but we want a safe race above all else,” wrote South African team Bonitas on Twitter.
“The Metro Police that were on the race with us earlier have disappeared.”
The Tour of South Africa returns after a 10-year absence. This year it runs as a modest eight-day, seven-stage event. Organisers hope to create the structure for a larger event, with division one teams next year.
Favourable weather should attract top European teams to the southern hemisphere, as the case with the Tour Down Under and Tour de San Luis in January.
This year, the race ranks 2.2 on the International Cycling Union (UCI) calendar. It offers around $70,000 in prize money, mostly coming from title sponsor Cell C.
The race continues tomorrow with stage three, 177 kilometres near Port Elizabeth, in the country’s south.