The Cape Town cycle tour has been cancelled due to extreme weather conditions and sponsor vendors are donating all the perishable stock to victims of the recent fires.
With extreme wind expected for most of the route, the organisers of the world’s largest timed race have announced on Twitter that riders should not approach the start.
The route was originally shortened early on Sunday morning to 78 km due to damage to roads in certain sections along the route as well as expected protest action later in the day.
URGENT UPDATE. Due to extreme weather conditions, #CycleTour2017 has regrettably been cancelled. Please do NOT approach the start line.
— Cape Town Cycle Tour (@CTCycleTour) March 12, 2017
All riders who have started will be stopped at the end of the M3. They will be contained there & traffic will escort them back on the M3
— Cape Town Cycle Tour (@CTCycleTour) March 12, 2017
Statement from tour organisers
Based on consultation with all the emergency services, the Joint Operations Centre of the Cape Town Cycle Tour 2017 regrets to announce that they have had to take the unprecedented step of cancelling this year’s 40th Cycle Tour.
This is due to winds in excess of 100km/hour on parts of the route, and the need to urgently clear the roads for emergency vehicles to attend to fires.
All riders who have started on the route will be stopped at the end of the M3. They will be contained there and traffic authorities will escort them back on the M3.
David Bellairs of the Cape Town Cycle Tour Trust will be holding a press conference at the Southern Sun Cullinan hotel at 10:00.
For more information on the 2017 Cape Town Cycle Tour, please follow us on Facebook, twitter (@CTCycleTour) and on Instagram (@ctcycletour).
Meanwhile sponsor vendors have also taken to twitter to announce that they are donating all the perishable stock to victims of the recent fires:
All food from today's cancelled @CTCycleTour hospitality & waterpoints will be donated to #HoutBayFire victims. #CycleTour2017 pic.twitter.com/CklZN5xFaM
— Pick n Pay (@PicknPay) March 12, 2017
All the @Momentum_za and @PicknPay #CycleTour2017 hospitality food will be going to the people affected by the fires yesterday.
— Momentum (@Momentum_za) March 12, 2017
I'm busy packing up food&clothes&donations for #houtbayfire victims, dropping off this morn , if you're in CT, want to donate, I'll collect https://t.co/5REAqCcWUT
— Liezel V 🦒 (@liezelv) March 12, 2017
Hey Liezel, we will be doing just that with water, Coke and Powerade stock intended for the race. #HoutBayFire
— Priscilla Urquhart (@PriscillaUrq) March 12, 2017
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