High winds batter the Vuelta a Murcia and the Volta Femenina de la Comunitat Valenciana
Quinten Hermans (Team Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling) during the neutralization of stage 2 due to strong winds at the Vuelta a la Region de Murcia 2026 (Photo: Dario Belingheri/Getty Images)
Updated February 14, 2026 12:34PM
High winds in Spain took a heavy toll on racing on Saturday, with one event cancelled and another seriously curtailed because of dangerous conditions.
The latter event was stage 2 of the Vuelta a Murcia, which began Saturday in Fortuna but was halted soon after the start. A video on social medial from the event showed riders struggling to remount after pulling in on the left hand side of the road. Audio from that clip revealed that racing had been stopped as a result.
The race website stated that as a result of the winds, “it is impossible to continue and the bunch will head to Santomera [the finish town] for a 10 kilometre neutralised stage.
“Times will not be taken, but there will be a stage winner and the jerseys will be awarded. So there will be an overall winner!”
The stage had been due to cover 180km.
In the end the anticipated sprint for the stage victory didn’t happen, ending the two day race in a very understated way.
Marc Soler won Friday’s opening stage by 19 seconds ahead of UAE Emirates-XRG teammate Julius Johansen, with Tom Pidcock (Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling) at 40 seconds.
The inclusion of the tough ascent of the category 1 Collado Bermejo plus a later category 3 climb meant Saturday’s stage 2 was poised to be a more difficult one. However with the abandonment of racing, the final overall standings came down to that stage 1 outcome.
Women’s racing also loses out
Stage winner Cat Ferguson with her Movistar teammates after stage 2 of the Setmana Ciclista – Volta Femenina de la Comunitat Valenciana on Friday (Photo: Szymon Gruchalski/Getty Images)
Meanwhile day two of the women’s Setmana Ciclista Volta Femenina de la Comunitat Valenciana was abandoned before the start due to similar wind conditions. Demi Vollering (FDJ United-Suez) soloed to victory on the opening stage and retained the lead on Friday when Cat Ferguson (Movistar Team) triumphed in a big bunch gallop.
Vollering has a lead of 56 seconds over Maeva Squiban (UAE Team ADQ).
The organizers confirmed the event will continue Sunday.
“After the cancellation of the third stage of the Setmana Ciclista: Volta Femenina de la Comunitat Valenciana because of the storm that hits the province of Alicante, the race will resume tomorrow, February 15 for the fourth and final stage between Sagunt and Valencia.”
Last month the time trial stage of the men’s race was also buffeted by high winds. Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) triumphed in the TT but the times did not count towards the general classification.