Eddy Merckx expressed his displeasure at the cancellation of stage five of the Tour of Oman. His main argument was that testing conditions are a part of bike racing.

The stage was cancelled mid-race after riders halted and took refuge in the shade under a bridge, expressing their concerns over extreme temperatures that surpassed 40 degrees Celsius, which resulted in several tires exploding at high speeds.

Before the protest the stage had already been shortened due to strong winds causing severe sandstorms at the starting line at Al Sawadi Beach.

“When it rains Paris-Roubaix is also dangerous, but they don't climb off their bikes,” said Merckx, who is the race organizer of the Tour of Oman. "I'm disappointed, yes, because this could endanger the future of the Tour of Oman.”

The riders, though, said they were genuinely concerned for their safety which prompted Fabian Cancellara to speak up. “It’s our life, and life is more important than anything else,” he told Salim bin Mubarak Al Hasani, Committee member for Sport Events and Tour of Oman.

He later added: “It is nothing against the organisers but it was impossible to do a descent at 85kph when the temperature is 47 degrees. The tyres were boiling and some of the guys could take them off with their hands and usually you can’t do that. 

“The UCI has to organise regulations for extreme weather, like here with the heat and Milan-San Remo with the snow.”