Bad weather forced the cancellation of the first stage of the Tour of California on Sunday as snow fell in the mountain region where the eight-stage event was set to begin. Cold temperatures and snowy conditions prompted officials to call off the stage after first delaying the start into the afternoon, citing unsafe roads.

Organizers plan to try again Monday to start from Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada mountains with a 214.4-kilometer stage to the California capital of Sacramento. The race is set to wind through the state before concluding next Sunday in Thousand Oaks, just west of Los Angeles. American Levi Leipheimer of Team RadioShack seeks his fourth title in the past five Tour of California races. Australian Michael Rogers is not defending the crown he won last year after a virus hampered his training.
 
"With the weather conditions the way they are, racing today is just not possible," Leipheimer said. "The riders discussed as a group and we just don't feel comfortable riding knowing what can happen. "We still have a full week of racing ahead of us, so we want to make sure
everyone is healthy."