Tre Valli Varesine cut short due to extreme weather conditions
Tre Valli Varesine was stopped with 110 kilometers remaining due to heavy rainfall. The Italian autumn classic had already been shortened before the start, but after just over an hour of racing, the race was definitively canceled.
The Lombardy region had been hit by severe rain in recent days. Before the start of the 200-kilometer one-day race, the organizers decided to cut two local laps from the course. The peloton set off for 168 kilometers, but with 110 kilometers to go, the race was definitively stopped in mutual agreement between the riders and the organizers.
"you couldn’t see the asphalt anymore, and manhole covers were coming loose"
“It was very extreme,” sports director Marc Reef commented. “The rain was pouring down, causing the roads to flood. In the descents, you couldn’t see the asphalt anymore, and manhole covers were coming loose. It was just too dangerous to continue racing under those conditions.”
“Everyone knew it was going to rain heavily today. Before the start, it was decided to cut two local laps, but that didn’t seem like a safer solution to us. After the start, our riders immediately indicated that they didn’t feel safe and wanted to stop. Tiesj Benoot, among others, took the lead in this decision. Along with Tadej Pogacar, he spoke with the UCI commissioner during the race. Stopping the race was the right decision.”
