Tour of Britain stage two cancelled due to adverse weather

High winds and driving rain have forced organisers of the Tour of Britain to cancel Monday's second stage from Kendal to Blackpool.

The decision was made on Monday morning before the stage start after an assessment was made of the weather conditions along the race route.

On Sunday, the Met Office had issued a 'yellow alert' for the area as gusts of wind reaching 60mph were expected.

The riders will take part in a neutralised loop around Kendal at 11am, for the spectators who had turned out to watch the race.

British overall hope Geraint Thomas (Sky) commented on the decision via Twitter: "Disappointed but safety is the main issue guys. Got to respect the police decision. Not worth breaking ourselves."

German Leopard-Trek stalwart Jens Voigt crashed out of the race on Sunday after running into other riders who had slipped on a tight corner. He was taken to hospital with a suspected broken finger.

British sprinter Mark Cavendish (HTC-Highroad) won the opening stage in Dumfries.

Related links

Gale force winds set to batter Tour of Britain on MondayCavendish takes Tour of Britain openerTour of Britain 2011: Cycling Weekly's coverage index