Niki Terpstra very openly criticized Tirreno-Adriatico organizers – RCS Sport – after riders were forced to tackle last two road stages of the Italian event in extremely unfavorable weather conditions.

Tirreno-Adriatico participants were forced to climb last 4 kilometers of the Terminillo, a final ascent of the queen stage held on Sunday, in a blizzard, what was followed by the last road stage held in a pouring rain on Monday. The 30-year old Dutchman was forced to stay behind the peloton to nurse Etixx-Quick Step fast finisher Mark Cavendish, who was unable to keep up a pace of the peloton suffering in adverse conditions and eventually has abandoned the race, together with Terpstra, Sabatini, Stybar and Renshaw.

„There shouldn't even be a discussion whether we should race [in such conditions]. It makes no sense.” Terpstra told AD. „If you design a course with a year and a half advance and place a finish in a ski resort at 1600 meters in March, could you expect snow? Is it really difficult to see it coming?”

„It's always the same with those organizers [RCS Sport]. They shit on everything. A few years back we rode Milano-Sanremo in a snow, then last year's Giro.”