The opening stage of the Tour of Algarve ended in chaos on Wednesday when most of the peloton took the wrong road just before the finish, and race organisers later cancelled the results.

When the riders came through a roundabout just before the home straight, the lead car went the wrong side of the barriers and the majority of the bunch followed suit, leaving the crowd bewildered as they watched two races unfurl.

The mix-up left Italy’s Filippo Ganna with an easier than expected sprint finish and the Ineos Grenadiers rider raised his arms in celebration well before he crossed the line. His joy was short-lived, however. No winner’s ceremony took place, the podium in Lagos was left empty and the 192.2km ride from Portimão was all in vain.

“On the approach to the finish line in Lagos, the peloton became divided and a large number of the riders took the wrong route, followed the detour of the support cars and missed the finish line,” race organisers said in a statement. “The College of Commissaires interpreted the regulations and, given what happened, decided to cancel the stage because they considered that sporting truth did not prevail in the end,” race director Sergio Sousa said.

The peloton will set off for Thursday’s second stage with the clock reset to zero.