Vuelta a Murcia opener cut in distance by high winds

Stage 1 from Cartagena to Yecla was originally slated to be 178.5km in length, but following discussions before the start, it was decided to reduce the distance significantly in a bid to avoid the gusts of 90kph that were reported on exposed sections of the course.

The Vuelta Murcia peloton rode the neutralised section in Cartagena before returning to their team buses to drive to the new start location of Fortuna. The stage will now get under way at 12.50 CET.

“In the end, we had a problem with the wind, like everyone can see,” race director Fran Gúzman told CyclingProNet. “Together with the riders, represented by Pello Bilbao, and with the commissaires, we took the decision to have a neutralised section in Cartagena and then the riders will travel by bus to due to the wind. We’ll travel together in convoy to Fortuna, and we’ll start the stage from there. The stage finish will be as planned.”

This is not the first time that wind conditions have created problems for a race in Spain this season. The time trial at last week’s Volta Comunitat Valenciana was neutralised due to high winds, while on Thursday, there were discussions between riders and the Setmana Valenciana organisation about possibly cutting the distance of stage 1. The race eventually went ahead as planned, with Demi Vollering claiming the spoils.

In Murcia on Friday, however, the decision was taken to more than halve the distance of the opening stage of the two-day race.

“The riders were worried about the wind, and their safety and the safety of the caravan is the priority,” Gúzman said. “In the end, for safety reasons, we decided to move the start. It was a very difficult decision to make but I think it was the right one.”

The Vuelta a Murcia returns to a stage race format this year for the first time in six years, having been held as a one-day race from 2021 to 2025. Tom Pidcock (Pinarello Q36.5), Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious) and Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) are among the starters.