Extreme weather protocol could be invoked at Tour Down Under
12 January 2019 05:26
At a pre-race press conference ahead of next week's Tour Down Under, race organiser Mike Turtur told reporters that stages of this year's race could be shortened due to hot weather, with a further announcement expected on Monday. Why on earth, people often ask, is the race held at what is the hottest time of the year in South Australia, when temperatures regular reach into the 40s degrees Centigrade? The answer, as Turtur is always at pains to explain, is so that the race can enjoy the attendance of the school-holiday crowd, replicating the Tour de France with its summer-holiday vibes. The riders' wellbeing, Turtur is also at pains to make clear, is nevertheless paramount, and while over the years most of them have been able to enjoy most stages in pleasant, sunny conditions, with the mercury in the top 20s or low 30s, occasionally action is required to protect the riders' health.ADVERTISEMENT "When you get those hot days, it's no good for anyone," Turtur explained to Cyclingnews. "But we're dealing with professional athletes, professionals teams, and there's the UCI extreme weather protocol in place, with rider representatives, and team representatives, and we sit down with the race commissaires and race organisation, and we discuss things – as we did at last year's race when we had three days on the trot around 40 degrees, and then modified the race to accommodate the requirements of the athletes. And it worked well. "We always work together, we always have positive outcomes, and we'll do the same this year, without any question," he continued. "We also work with the emergency services: the country fire service, the South Australian police, and so on. We're in constant contact with them throughout the race. Every day we meet, every day we brief. We try to cover every possibility. "Our ultimate ambition is to make sure that everyone's safe and healthy, so I think it goes without saying, really, that we've got a great working relationship with all the teams, and we make sure that we maintain that and do the right thing, as we've always done."
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