Imogen Cotter's efforts to get her season underway were dealt a second blow in a matter of days today when she lined up at Drentse Acht van Westerveld (1.1) only for the race to be cancelled due to snow shortly after it started in bitterly cold conditions.
Lara Gillespie (UAE Development Team) had travelled from Ireland for the event in the Netherlands only to suffer a wasted trip just before her next track assignment with the Irish team at the UCI Nations Cup in Cairo.
Very windy and cold conditions forced the organisers of Drentse Acht van Westerveld to initially shorten the race and re-route it, onto an 8.7km circuit. It was shortened by 50km, from the original planned 141km. However, not long after the racing got underway is was neutralised and then after just two laps of the circuit in Dwingeloo the riders were stopped. The organisers said the worsening snow made the conditions unsafe, though some riders wanted to continue.
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''There were riders who thought it was nonsense and who applauded it, but if the jury and the police think it is no longer responsible, of course, I agree," said organsier Femmy van Issum. "Now fingers crossed for tomorrow (for Ronde van Drenthe). I really hope that the race will be 'normal'. There may be an alternative route."
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Cotter (Team Fenix Deceuninck), who is coming back from a career-threatening crash at the start of last year, had also been set to ride GP Oetingen (1.1) in Belgium on Wednesday but that was also cancelled, just hours before the planned start, due to snow.
Elsewhere in Europe, strong gusty winds saw the cancellation of stage 6 at Paris-Nice today. Furthermore, the dangerously windy conditions also saw stage 5 of Tirreno Adriatico shortened, with 3km of the planned 13km final climb to the finish at Sassotetto knocked off the route but that section of the climb was judged too dangerous.
The stage was won, in a sprint from a large select group, by Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) from Giulio Ciccone (Trek-Segafredo) and Tao Geoghegan Hart (Ineos Grenadiers). Due to the time bonuses Roglič took for winning today and yesterday, he took the race leader's jersey today from Lennard Kämna (Bora-hansgrohe).
Roglič now leads the race by four seconds from Kämna with João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) 3rd at 12 seconds ahead of he final two stages.
