Tour of Britain Stage 2 cancelled

Sky's Steve Cummings crashed hard yesterday. With
today's much worse weather, the race could easily have
become carnage. (© Racklever CC3.0)

Stage 2 of the 2011 Tour of Britain has been cancelled by organisers due to the high winds that are battering the North-West of Britain as a result of Hurricane Katia.

Stage 1 was raced in atrocious conditions, leading to a crash in which Sky's Steve Cummings fell hard and LeopardTrek's Jens Voigt broke a finger. Cummings was able to continue after receiving attention from medics, Voigt's injury forced him to abandon the race.

With a Yellow Alert - high risk of damage to trees and buildings, probable travel disruption - alert put into place for the region by the Met Office, the decision to cancel the stage had been suspected overnight before confirmation came at 10:00 on the morning of the stage. Sky's Geraint Thomas, a favourite to win the race, Tweeted: "Disappointed but safety is the main issue guys. Got to respect the police decision. Not worth breaking ourselves." Meanwhile, riders are reported to be milling about the start line, disappointed but accepting that the decision had to be made.

However, cycling fans and residents of Kendal will still be able to see some action as riders will be completing a limited number of display laps around the town centre. This will take place in a neutral zone and as such will not affect race standings. Other activities are being planned according to an official Tour Tweet at 10:45, and it appears celebrations will be held at the Blackpool Tower finish line later this afternoon.

The organisers' full statement can be read here.