Stage 5 of the Critérium du Dauphiné was neutralised after two mass crashes with 21km remaining that noticed an unlimited variety of riders fall, together with yellow jersey Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-Fast Step), Primož Roglič (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Juan Ayuso (UAE Staff Emirates).
The commissaires introduced the race to a halt after the peloton was hit by two virtually simultaneous crashes on a stretch of moist downhill street on the run-in to the end in Saint-Priest.
Following discussions between the riders, the commissaires and the race organisation, it was later determined to cancel the rest of the stage.
In an announcement on race radio, the organisation defined that they had been unable to make sure medical assist for the peloton within the closing kilometres provided that the ambulances following the race had been all required to convey riders to hospital.
It was decreed that the peloton would journey the ultimate kilometres into Saint-Priest collectively, however there can be no stage winner and no time awarded for the overall classification.
“In accordance with the jury of commissaires of the UCI it has been determined that as a result of reality there are not any ambulances can maintain the safety of the riders as a result of they’re all busy going to totally different hospitals, the race will likely be neutralised,” was the Englishlanguage assertion on race radio.
“The race will likely be neutralised and the peloton will journey all the way in which to the end line beneath the escort of the Garde Republicaine. The occasions won’t be taken into consideration, there won’t be a winner for right now’s stage.”
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Over 50 riders seem to have come down within the two crashes. Evenepoel was among the many fallers, and the Belgian spent a while sitting on the roadside earlier than rising gingerly to his ft.
Roglič was rapidly again up once more after the crash, as was his Bora-Hansgrohe teammate Jai Hindley. Different fallers included Tao Geoghegan Hart (Lidl-Trek), Tim Wellens (UAE Staff Emirates) and Mikel Landa (Soudal-QuickStep).
The Visma-Lease a Bike pairing of Dylan van Baarle and Steven Kruijswijk had been each compelled to desert the race as a result of accidents they sustained within the crash, Van Baarle appeared to have sustained a shoulder damage.
Evenepoel and Chris Froome had been later concerned in discussions with their fellow riders and with the commissaires over whether or not the stage would proceed in any respect.
Talking to the host broadcaster, Romain Combaud (dsm-firmenich PostNL) signalled his doubts in regards to the stage’s resumption, and shortly afterwards, ASO confirmed that the day’s racing had been definitively neutralised.
On the end, Combaud applauded the choice to droop the stage within the aftermath of the crash.
“It was an excellent resolution,” Combaud mentioned. “I believe we had no extra ambulances left in order that was the rationale and I believe it was the correct resolution. The organiser reacted instantly to neutralise the race, and we had the data instantly in our earpiece. It was a clever resolution and it was pleasing for us riders.”
Escapees Mathis Le Berre (Arkéa-B&B Accommodations) and Tobias Bayer (Alpecin-Deceuninck) had been main the peloton by 20 seconds on the time of the 2 mass crashes behind them, which befell on roads that had been made slick by heavy rain showers.
After a pause of half an hour or so, the peloton resumed slowly on its manner in the direction of Saint-Priest, albeit with out Kruijswijk and Van Baarle.
