The Vuelta a España has altered its route so that it does not pass through Portugal in this year’s race.
The Vuelta, one of cycling’s three Grand Tours, has already been moved from its original start date on 14 August and been shortened after its first three stages in the Netherlands were cancelled.
The revised 18-stage race will now begin on 20 October. It had been due to go through northern Portugal on stages 15 and 16, visiting Matosinhos in Porto before leaving Viseu to head back to Salamanca in Spain.
In such “exceptional” circumstances, race director Javier Guillénas said, “we have to be flexible and understand these kinds of decisions and changes”. He confirmed that alternative stages would be announced in the coming weeks.
