The opening stage of the Tour of Turkey was cancelled on Saturday because of heavy snow on the course. The race was due to open on Sunday with a 167.3km stage in the centre of the country. "1st stage from Nevsehir to Urgup is cancelled due to heavy snow," the organisers tweeted. The race will now open on Monday with a 144.9km circuit that will begin an end in Konya. The eight-day second-tier marks the return of Dutch cyclist Fabio Jakobsen eight months after a controversial high-speed crash in Poland almost cost him his life. pb/nr