Riders swept off the road by wind in Vuelta a Murcia
The Vuelta a Murcia was neutralized on Saturday due to fierce winds, after which the organizers decided to hold a ten-kilometer criterium in the finish town of Santomera. In the morning, the race organization initially planned to run the full 140 kilometers, but it quickly became clear that this was not going to be possible.
Footage on social media shows several riders being blown off the road by the wind in eastern Spain. The race organization then decided to intervene quickly.
Blown away. Literally. 🌪️
🙏 Luckily everyone is okay. The race is neutralised.
— Unibet Rose Rockets (@rockets_cycling) February 14, 2026
Pello Bilbao spoke to Cycling Pro Net after the chaotic first hour of racing in the Murcia region. "We gave it a try, and in the first twenty kilometers it still seemed fine, but then at one point when we took a right-hand turn, we encountered really strong winds. That's when everyone realized it was truly impossible to race like that."
In the end, a solution was found by racing about ten kilometers in Santomera for a stage win. "We also just want to support the race organizers," concluded the Basque rider. "That's why we raced on a closed circuit for the stage victory."
