Heavy rain forces cancellation of Tour of Turkey stage 5 after riders protest

Stage 5 of the Tour of Turkey has been cancelled due to bad weather conditions.

The stage had been initially set to run with large sections neutralised due to heavy rainfall in the region, and stage started, but rider protests early in the stage led to race organisers instead deciding to cancel the stage altogether.

Following a miserable stage 4 to the summit finish of Akyaka, won by Wout Poels, stage 5 was set to run 151km from Marmaris to Aydın. The hilly day, featuring an early first-category climb, would have included almost 2,000 metres of ascent.

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The peloton set off from Marmaris to start the stage on Thursday morning after a slightly delayed start. The opening 71km were due to be neutralised, and GC times were to be taken 3km before the finish.

However, thanks to the heavy rainfall on the course, the riders protested, leading to the stage's cancellation.

"Due to rain, wet road conditions, and the increased risk of crashes, the Commissaires Panel held a meeting with team and rider representatives and decided cancel the stage," the race organisation confirmed.

"The rain only got worse during the stage. The safety of the riders is our highest priority."

Stage 2 winner Tibor Del Grosso had already complained about the "insane" slippery roads after rain had fallen on stage 4, comparing the Turkish roads to ice.

Weather permitting, the Tour of Turkey is set to continue on Friday with stage 6 in Selçuk and a 4.2km, 8.4% uphill finish, which should bring another GC battle.

Wout Poels will defend his race lead with a 23-second advantage over XDS-Astana teammate Harold Martín López. Picnic-PostNL pairing Guillermo Juan Martinez and Frank van den Broek lie in third and fourth places at 28 and 39 seconds down.