Severe Hailstorm Forces Abandonment of Vuelta a Espana Stage Three

Stage three of the Vuelta a Espana was abandoned in the closing kilometres on Monday after a severe hailstorm created hazardous conditions and forced riders and officials to halt the race.

Race leader Tadej Pogacar, wearing the red jersey, was among the cyclists who were forced to leave the course and seek shelter at a nearby hotel as the storm intensified across the Pyrenees.

Mats Wenzel and Lorenzo Fortunato were ahead of the main peloton when race officials decided that continuing would be too dangerous. The riders were approaching the summit of the penultimate climb on the route to Font Romeu when the stage was brought to an abrupt end.

According to Bush Radio Academy, the 174-kilometre stage was scheduled to run from Gruissan to Font Romeu, but deteriorating weather conditions ultimately made it impossible for the competition to continue safely.

Visma-Lease A Bike sports director Maarten Wynants backed the decision, describing the cancellation as the safest option given the severity of the weather.

The race had started under favourable conditions, with six riders launching an early breakaway. The group initially built a lead of more than two and a half minutes before Pogacar’s UAE Team Emirates-XRG squad began working to reduce the gap.

Crosswinds later caused splits within the peloton, with general classification contender Felix Gall briefly caught out before managing to regain contact.

With about 60 kilometres remaining, riders could see dark clouds and worsening rain ahead. The weather deteriorated further with approximately 25 kilometres left, when heavy rain and hail began battering the route.

Several cyclists were forced to stop and take cover from the hailstones, while Pogacar reportedly called on the peloton to leave the route and seek shelter at a nearby hotel.

Wenzel eventually became the final rider remaining from the original breakaway before being joined by Fortunato as the extreme weather continued. Race organisers subsequently confirmed that the stage had been abandoned for safety reasons.

Attention now turns to stage four, which is scheduled to start and finish in Andorra on Tuesday. The 104.8-kilometre mountain stage features several categorised climbs and is expected to provide an early indication of the riders likely to challenge for the general classification.

Pogacar remains the overwhelming favourite to win the Vuelta a Espana. The Slovenian superstar, a five-time Tour de France champion, is seeking to complete his collection of Grand Tour victories after winning the Giro d’Italia in 2024.

A victory in the Vuelta would also put Pogacar in the exclusive group of riders to have won all three Grand Tours, while a successful Tour-Vuelta double this season would further cement his place among cycling’s elite.