Tadej Pogacar Leads Peloton to Safety as Severe Hailstorm Forces Vuelta a Espana Stage Cancellation

Extraordinary scenes unfolded at the Vuelta a Espana on Monday when Stage 3 was abandoned with 15km remaining due to a torrential hailstorm in the French Pyrenees. The 166.7km route from Guissan to Font Romeu featured the first summit finish, but conditions rapidly deteriorated as the peloton scaled the Col de Mont-Louis under darkened skies.

Riders were soon battered by massive hailstones, forcing them to seek shelter off the road. Race leader and UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider Tadej Pogacar was seen signaling the main group to slow down and ultimately pull over.

The heavy hail blanketed the road like snow, leaving organizers with no alternative but to cancel the stage. An official announcement stated, “For the security of the riders, stage three has been cancelled due to hail and severe weather. There will be no winner and no podium ceremony.”

At the time of the abandonment, Equipo Kern Pharma’s Mats Wenzel led the race in a lone breakaway, while all major general classification contenders remained in the leading group. Consequently, Tadej Pogacar maintains a nine-second lead over Wout van Aert (Team Visma-Lease a Bike) at the top of the standings.

Reflecting on the unpredictable nature of Grand Tours, Tadej Pogacar noted that retaining the red jersey from start to finish is never a guaranteed goal. Tuesday's Stage 4 will feature a 104.8km high mountain route with three category one summits, held entirely in Andorra.