The devastation caused by the Australian bushfires has been enormous, and the cycling world is focusing on Adelaide this week to help in any way they can - riders, brands, and even races.

AG2R La Mondiale's Romain Bardet, who has been in Australia since late December and witnessed the devastation firsthand, has teamed up with Mavic to launch a special Tour Down Under model of Mavic Comete cycling shoes.

"Despite the environmental disaster that is affecting Australia, we are happy to discover the Santos Tour Down Under," said Mavic's CEO, Mr. Mavic.

"We have seen the devastation in various places around Adelaide. We hope that this race will serve as a new leverage for the solidarity movements that are happening around the world to support the areas hit by the fires."

We caught up with Bardet in the pits, and he told Cycling News that his shoes are a special Tour Down Under edition and will be auctioned off to raise funds for wildfire relief.

Nick Squillari, owner of the local custom shoe store "Velo Kicks," said he approached Mavic about donating shoes, and the French brand "Ruler Classics" donated three pairs.

Squillari also said that when Mavic proposed the idea to Bardet, he immediately wanted to help in any way he could and came up with the idea of donating his own racing shoes.

Mavic's Comete is a two-piece shoe with a carbon exoskeleton and removable inner booties for summer or winter riding conditions. Bardet's custom shoe also appears to be an updated version of the Comete, with the upper ergo dial positioned slightly higher on the carbon shell. The inner booties have also been updated with a slightly different fabric, and the heel and tongue pullers appear to have been removed. According to the auction page, the inner booties also feature the brand's Matrix Technology straps, which use carbon thread for stability and weight reduction.

The carbon shell of Bardet's TDU shoes is painted blue and yellow, similar to Specialized's S-Works 7 Down Under shoes released earlier this week. The sole is painted in Mavic yellow, and the heel cup is adorned with the same logo on the top tube of his race bike featured in our recent Tour Down Under Tech Gallery.

The auction for the shoes is currently underway and will run through January 26.

For more information or to donate, visit the auction page.