Riders slam impossible conditions at Abu Dhabi Tour

Temperatures were in the 50s at the start of the Abu Dhabi Tour and riders described the conditions as "impossible" to race in

Tom Dumoulin on stage 1 of the 2015 Abu Dhabi Tour (Watson)

(Image credit: Watson)

The first edition of the Abu Dhabi Tour began under a blanket of heat today that zapped the power of those professional stars who came to race.

Italian Andrea Guardini won the first stage, which the organiser had to shorten because of the slow pace through the oven-like temperatures ranging from 40 to 45°C.

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Gregor Brown

Gregor Brown is an experienced cycling journalist, based in Florence, Italy. He has covered races all over the world for over a decade - following the Giro, Tour de France, and every major race since 2006. His love of cycling began with freestyle and BMX, before the 1998 Tour de France led him to a deep appreciation of the road racing season.