Bad weather has forced the cancellation of the first of two stages on the final day of cycling's Tour of Southland.
Organisers say snow made the roads treacherous for the 13 kilometre individual time trial at Winton this morning and the leg was called off with agreement of the teams.
A decision is still to be made on whether the afternoon's 87km stage from Winton to the finish line in Invercargill will proceed.
PowerNet rider Josh Atkins has the yellow jersey and, at 19, is in line to be the youngest winner in the event's 56-year history.
Atkins holds a lead of one minute five seconds over Pure Blacks Racing's Tim Gudsell.
NZN