Organisers and officials at the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana made a mid-race decision to shorten the fourth stage on Saturday following the death of a person at the finish location in Vall d'Ebo.
"For reasons of force majeure, the organization has decided to end the stage at the top of El Miserat. The cyclists will arrive at Vall d'Ebo in a neutralized manner. All protocol acts for today are suspended out of respect," the organisers of the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana first confirmed across social media platforms during the race.
The penultimate stage at the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana was initially set to take the peloton on a 175km race from Teulada Moraira into Vall d'Ebo.
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Race officials notified the teams and riders with about 37km to go that they had decided to shorten the stage by 15 kilometres and that the stage would instead finish at the top of the ascent of Alto del Miserat. The peloton then rode neutralised to Vall d'Ebo.
Organisers later confirmed through an official statement following the race the reason it had shortened the stage, adding that the organisation's staff attempted to help the person before emergency medical support arrived by helicopter.
"The organisers of the Volta Ciclista a la Comunitat Valenciana have decided to modify the final part of the route of the fourth stage due to the death of a person who was at the finish line in Vall d’Ebo," the organisers wrote in a statement.
"The organisers immediately assisted this person. A 111 emergency team arrived as quickly as possible by helicopter. Despite the efforts made in the resuscitation manoeuvres, it was not possible to save their life.
"The organisation of the Volta Ciclista a la Comunitat Valenciana deeply regrets this sad event and expresses its condolences to the family of the deceased."
The decision was also made not to host a podium ceremony following stage 4, won by Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates), but a podium ceremony will instead take place in the Bétera, the start of stage 5 on Sunday.
