'Catastrophic' weather could lead to parts of Tour Down Under being cancelled

STAGES of the Santos Tour Down Under would be cancelled if the race went into areas with a "catastrophic" fire danger warning.

Tour Down Under director Mike Turtur. Picture: Roger Wyman.

STAGES of the Santos Tour Down Under would be cancelled if the race went into areas with a "catastrophic" fire danger warning issued by the Country Fire Authority.

The entire state of South Australia - with the exception of the Adelaide metropolitan area - was yesterday placed under a "severe" warning behind only extreme and catastrophic on its ratings system.

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The temperature is predicted to hit 46 on Thursday and exceed 40 for the fifth consecutive day on Friday.

But fortunately for the Tour Down Under's WorldTour peloton, it is expected to cool to 28 degrees for the People's Choice Classic on Sunday night and down to 26 for Stage 1 from Nuriootpa to Angaston on Tuesday.

Professional cyclists at The Hilton have been served breakfast from 6am which is earlier than usual this week, and teams have been urged to have their training completed by lunchtime.

"We made provisions for early breakfast all this week, started at 6am, and advised teams in writing about getting out and back before lunch," race director Mike Turtur said.

"They're professional athletes with professional people looking after them.

"Hopefully we won't have to deal with excessive heat (in the race), but the weather is one element we cannot control.

"So we've just got to keep our fingers crossed that we don't have to deal with it at race time

"We've had one or two days in the past (when the peloton has raced in) 40-degree heat and riders survived okay, but hopefully it backs off and allows the athletes to do what they do."

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Turtur said in consultation with UCI commissaries and the race doctor, organisers would constantly assess the risk that heat posed to cyclists and officials, and in the event of a "catastrophic" fire danger day, the stage would be cancelled.

The TDU has a contingency plan in place to provide spectators with entertainment involving the riders at its tour village in the city, in the unlikely event a stage is cancelled because of heat or fire.

"If it (heat) got to a ridiculous level, then we would have a discussion with commissaries and officials, but you cannot enter any area with a catastrophic rating," Turtur said.

The TDU boss said it would be impossible to relocate a stage anywhere else.

"It's not that simple because of all the logistical planning with traffic movement, railway lines and everything else," Turtur said.

"You can't just swap a day's race to go somewhere different."

Some cyclists, including German Andre Greipel who is the most successful rider in TDU history, Tweeted photos of their bike computer showing temperatures as high as 49 degrees in the sun in recent days.