The start of the 2011 Tour of California was wiped out earlier today because of snow, forcing organizers to cut the event from eight to seven stages.

Before calling off the start, organizers delayed the stage by 2 hours, 45 minutes and shortened the scheduled 118.7-mile road race from South Lake Tahoe to Northstar at Tahoe Resort to 49.2 miles.

When the weather cleared a bit, the 144 riders were signed in at the start and about to compete under a light snowfall, a temperature of 35 degrees and 12 mph wind, but organizers called it off less than a minute before the start. Originally set for 763.8 miles, the race has been cut to 645.1 miles.

"We were monitoring weather conditions up until the predicted 1:15 p.m. start time, and we just couldn't safely put the riders out on the course with the current forecast," said Andrew Messick, president of race owner AEG Sports. "We appreciate the support of all the fans that came out to the start line in South Lake Tahoe, and we hope they understand and respect our decision, but when the safety of riders and fans is involved, there is no leeway. We are looking forward to seeing everyone at the start tomorrow in Squaw Valley."

Before the start was wiped out, there was a moment of silence for Wouter Weylandt, the Belgian rider killed last Monday in the third stage of the 2011 Giro d'Italia.

"The riders discussed as a group and we just don't feel comfortable riding knowing what can happen, especially in light of what happened last Monday," three-time winner Levi Leipheimer of Team RadioShack said.

"We still have a full week of racing ahead of us, so we want to make sure everyone is healthy. With the weather conditions the way they are, racing today is just not possible. On behalf of all the riders, we apologize and appreciate everyone's support and understanding."

Team BMC Racing's George Hincapie, a former stage winner, agreed with Leipheimer.

"There was definitely a concern with the safety of the course and the really fast descent," Hincapie said. "If it's icy, you don't have control of your bike. And the end of the day, they just prioritized safety."

A 2011 Tour of California organizer spokesman told Roadcycling.com that the organizers are planning to continue as scheduled with tomorrow's stage 2.

"Honestly, our focus has been on today's stage 1. Tomorrow we have a number of contingency plans if we again encounter drastic weather conditions. It is likely going to depend on the status of Donner Pass. We have our team up there right now assessing the situation," Messick elaborated.