Heat and wind will play havoc with the start of the Tour Down Under and race organisers have changed the first two stages.
After Sunday's announcement that stage two in the Barossa will be shortened, the Tour will also cut a finishing loop out of stage one in Port Adelaide.
Race directors normally love windy conditions, given the carnage that ensues as teams use the conditions to split the peloton, but Tour boss Mike Turtur is worried about the logistics of Tuesday's route into the finish.
Turtur said they risked a disastrous scenario where exhausted riders would have been forced to wait by the side of the road, in 40 degree heat, because of safety worries about race vehicles.
Cutting the 3.4km circuit out of the stage eliminates any potential overlap between the start and end of the race convoy, which could stretch out for several kilometres if the peloton splinters.
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The Tour said in a statement that the call was made following consultation with riders' representative Adam Hansen and teams' representative Matt White.
"It's sensible. It will allow a free, straight race and it won't have implications at the end where we're stopping riders because they're blown out the back," Turtur said of Tuesday's change.
"It might not happen, but it's not worth the gamble.
"Tomorrow will be brutal."
The wind is not forecast to be severe on Tuesday - about 20-30km/h - but the last few kilometres of the stage are exposed completely.
That, combined with the blast furnace heat, is a recipe for significant gaps if teams decide to turn the screws and use echolon riding to force the pace.
An overall contender could easily see his hopes evaporate on stage one if he is caught in the wrong group.
South African defending champion Daryl Impey (Mitchelton-Scott) and Australian star Richie Porte (Trek-Segafredo) are among top riders who will rely heavily on their teams to make sure they stay out of trouble.
The same applies to Sunday's Down Under Classic winner Caleb Ewan (Lotto-Soudal), given Tuesday is a finish made for the sprinters.
Two stages last year were also altered because of a heat wave.
Turtur said last year had the second-hottest conditions in the Tour's 21-year history.
The benchmark remains 2006, when the tar on the road in Yankaiilla was melting and Australian rider Matt Lloyd crashed after passing out on his bike because of the heat.
"There aren't as many as you think - but they stick in your mind," Turtur said of the hottest days.
A cool change is forecast to come through in time for Thursday's third stage, one of the hardest in the Tour.
