Dutch multi-day cycling race stage cut short after car ignores stop signs

The third stage of the Tour of Holland was cut short on Friday after a car failed to obey stop signs. In response, the cyclists refused to continue, and the organizers chose to honor the decision of the riders and their team leaders.

The fourth day of the Tour of Holland started on time at the Tom Dumoulin Bike Park in Sittard. After about an hour, the incident occurred with the car, which had to be stopped twice, and the riders indicated they wanted to stop for safety reasons.

Before the riders started, a truck reportedly entered the course during the neutralized kilometers, which are sections at the start where racing speed is reduced and the peloton rides together, according to the cycling team Visma-Lease a Bike. The Tour of Holland takes place without a police escort, relying on volunteers to halt traffic.

The Tour of Holland made little use of the police, with organizers choosing to manage the safety of cyclists and spectators primarily through their own traffic marshals. The six-day stage race is a continuation of the Tour of the Netherlands, which was last held in 2004.

“The police are barely necessary, perhaps only at a few critical points,” said Niels Markensteijn, director of the organizing TIG Sports, during the Tour of Holland kick-off earlier this year. “We don’t go from point A to B, but rather work with local circuits, as is done at the Cycling World Championships and nowadays also at the Tour of Flanders. This reduces the number of road closures, making the race easier to manage and more enjoyable for spectators, who get to see the riders pass multiple times.”

The Tour of Holland kicked off with a prologue in The Hague and will conclude on Sunday in Arnhem.