Decision on California stage 1 re-route won't be made until 9am

A decision will be made shortly before the start of the Amgen Tour of California's first stage as to whether the race could be forced to use contingency plans.

With the stage set to start from South Lake Tahoe at 10.30am PT, a final decision will not be made by race organisers until 9am, according to a release late on Saturday evening by Tour organisers.

"As everyone is aware, there is a storm front predicted to reach the area," explained the release. "Therefore race organizers, in conjunction with the commissaires, teams and public safety organizations, have developed a number of contingency plans with the safety of the riders and fans being the number one priority."

Snow has been predicted to fall on the area for a number of days.

"The weather is constantly changing in the Sierras, and our team will be assessing weather conditions throughout the morning," said race organisers.

Unlike some states where roads are sprayed with brine or sprinkled with salt to help melt snow and ice, environmental concerns prevent the use of chemicals on the roads around Lake Tahoe, leaving ploughs as the only option for snow and ice removal.