The Abu Dhabi Tour press conference
(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The first stage of the Abu Dhabi Tour was reduced by 14.5km due to the high temperatures the riders faced on the desert roads.
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The 174km stage was cut to 159km by removing the 14.5km finishing circuit in Madinat Zayed. The riders and teams had been concerned about racing in the heat at the start of the stage after seeing forecasts for 39C at the finish in Madinat Zayed. The first two hours of the race was covered at an average of 34km/h and so cutting the final 14.5km also ensured the race finished close to schedule.
The average temperature for Abu Dhabi in October is 29C but temperatures are expected to remain close to 38C for the remaining three days of the Abu Dhabi Tour.
More to follow..