Race abandoned as cyclists blown about by hurricane winds

Headwinds of almost 100km/h blew cyclists off their bicycles and forced officials to call off a race in Spain on Sunday.

The riders were taking part in the third stage of the Volta a La Marina in the coastal city of Benidorm, Valencia, when the conditions made the journey too dangerous to continue, El Periodico reports.

A video posted online by ciclismolevante shows a large group of riders slowing to a snail's pace as they try to push on against the 95km/h winds.

Unable to balance at such slow speeds and being battered by the gale force winds, some riders tumble off their bikes while others give up, hopping off their bikes and carrying them on their shoulders.

Eventually they all give up the impossible fight against the conditions as they struggle just to remain upright with felled motorcycles and trees almost bent over themselves dotting the landscape behind them.

The race's Technical Jury and Civil Guard decided to call off the race to protect the riders.