Winds exceeding 100kph blew riders off their bikes and sent portable toilets careening across the road before organisers cancelled the event

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

Winds of up to 100kph that blew competitors off their bikes have forced organisers to cancel an international road race in South Africa.

The havoc on the Cape Town Cycle Tour began at the start of the race close to the city’s foreshore when cyclists encountered gusts so strong that they struggled to hang onto their bikes and stop them from being blown away.

The Observer view on doping in cycling | Observer editorial Read more

Footage posted on social media shows other riders being knocked off their bikes by the wind and some unable even to walk upright.

Jamal Shaikh (@JamalShaikh) Here's a video a friend sent from Cape Town. Look at all those bicycles flying!!! @waldimar @CTCycleTour pic.twitter.com/pPmV8600Ij

Garth Breytenbach (@GBreyts) How crazy is this wind in Cape Town - cycle tour cancelled 😳😳😳😳#CycleTour2017 #southeaster #windymuch pic.twitter.com/kNpkcoe9Ev

At one point a portable toilet was blown across the street. Some participants were powerless to stop themselves sliding across the street and being blown into other competitors.

Arrive Alive (@_ArriveAlive) Cape Town 40th Cycle Tour cancelled due to extreme winds. #CapeTown #CapeArgus pic.twitter.com/mVRhzvXNwA

The 109km race, in which 35,000 people were taking part, was cancelled at 21km after organisers deemed the conditions too dangerous.

Cape Town Cycle Tour (@CTCycleTour) URGENT UPDATE. Due to extreme weather conditions, #CycleTour2017 has regrettably been cancelled. Please do NOT approach the start line.

Race directors said a nearby fire and street protests contributed to the decision.

David Bellairs, the race’s marketing director, said the call was made to avoid “potential fatality”.

“This morning presented a number of challenges‚ not least of which were wind speeds considerably higher than predicted yesterday‚” he said, according to The Times.

It was the first time in the event’s 40-year history that is has been called off due to high wind.

Cape Town is buffeted by strong winds that blow in from the Atlantic Ocean. The south-easter, or Cape Doctor, is well-known locally for knocking people off their feet and is often at its strongest in the city centre, where the race began.

Organisers have said they will consider moving the start of the race next year.