LUBLIN, Poland, Sept 17, 2008 (AFP) – The thought of high speed crashes in rain-swept and slippery conditions prompted a peloton protest and forced the cancellation of the Tour of Poland’s fourth stage here on Wednesday.

The peloton got off their bikes to protest about the race conditions before the third of three planned finishing circuits on the 202km fourth stage from Bielsk Podlaski to here.

With pouring rain and 10 degrees Celsius, riders later said they refused to race the final sprint on the last circuit because of the likelihood of crashes.

Race commissaires later decided to cancel the entire stage, leaving Quick Step’s Allan Davis of Australia still with the race leader’s jersey and a 04sec lead on Brazil’s Maurilo Fischer.

The fifth stage will be held Thursday over 239.7 km between Naleczow and Rzeszow.

Davis is one of the many riders in the peloton who has been picked to represent his country at the upcoming world championships in Varese, Italy next week.