Amstel Curacao Race cancelled due to severe road flooding

Image 1 of 3

The Amstel Curaçao Race was washed out on Saturday, as heavy rains and clogged drains combined to flood the roads. The organisers have put together a one-hour criterium Sunday morning as an alternative race.

The storm was not a repeat of Tropical Storm Thomas, which hit earlier in the week, but was still bad enough to halt proceedings. Lightning struck the TV sender antenna, knocking out the broadcasts. The rain was heavy enough that water flowed through the streets, being as high as halfway up a wheel at places.

After delaying the race for an hour, the decision was made to cancel the race entirely. Although the storm stopped and the sun came out, the roads were still flooded and too dangerous.

"We had no other choice," organizer Leo van Vliet told Sportwereld.be. "What if some of the 291 participants ended up in hospital with severe injuries? This is a tropical island. Such rainfall at this time of year is always possible, even if it is not usually much of a problem for Curacao and the Leeward Islands. "

The Curacao race had attracted such riders as Andy and Fränk Schleck, Tony Martin, Jurgen Vandenbroeck, Allan Davis, Bauke Mollema and Niki Terpstra.