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Challenge Davos cancelled due to storm

Storm forces organizers to cancel highly anticipated race in Switzerland

Photo by: Challenge Davos Facebook

Is it a sign that racing in 2020 is just not meant to be? Challenge Davos was cancelled today because of lightning.


Pre-race favourite Sebastian Kienle provided a useful outlook on the situation through an Instagram post, all at once expressing his disappointment, providing perspective and thanking the race officials and volunteers who had worked so hard on the race:

According to a release from Challenge Family, the pro men were two km into the bike and the pro women were exiting the water when “the pouring rains developed into a heavy thunderstorm and athletes’ safety could no longer be guaranteed.”

As disappointed as athletes were about the situation, the “organization was treated with perhaps the best gesture you may get: athletes gathered en masse and gave them a deafening and especially long applause,” the release continued.

“It goes without saying that this means so much to us,” Challenge Family CEO Jort Vlam said of the gesture from the athletes. “And, to be honest, it’s something that the Challenge Davos team really deserved. They have done their utmost to put up a great race and have done such a great job. It’s wonderful to see athletes recognixzing and rewarding that with such a beautiful gesture, despite this huge disappointment for them as well. Unfortunately, nobody controls the weather and this was the only right decision to make.”