Severe hailstorm forces abandonment of Vuelta a España stage 3 in Pyrenees

Torrential hail hits Pyrenean climb

The third stage of the 81st Vuelta a España was abandoned on Monday after a violent hailstorm struck riders in the French Pyrenees. The 174-kilometre route from Gruissan was scheduled to finish in Font-Romeu. With 15 kilometres remaining, as the peloton scaled the Col de Mont-Louis, the main ascent of the day, skies darkened and large hailstones began pelting the riders. The storm caused temperatures to drop rapidly and covered the road in a thick sheet of ice, reducing visibility and rendering the tarmac impassable. At the moment the weather broke, Italian rider Lorenzo Fortunato of XDS Astana and Mats Wenzel of Kern Pharma were riding off the front of the race in a breakaway attempt.

Peloton stops and seeks roadside shelter

Faced with hazardous conditions, overall race leader Tadej Pogacar moved to the front of the peloton and made wide arm gestures instructing riders to halt. Drenched competitors dismounted along the road, seeking shelter in private houses and inside a hotel near the Col de Mont-Louis. Race director general Javier Guillén confirmed that the stage would not restart, nullifying stage results, time gaps, and podium ceremonies. After riders dried off, changed into winter clothing, and prepared for evacuation, race officials published an official statement at 17:50.

For the safety of the riders, Stage 3 has been cancelled due to hail and adverse weather conditions.

General classification frozen after opening stages

Because race officials cancelled the stage before the finish line, the overall standings remained frozen based on the results of the opening two days. Pogacar had secured the red jersey by winning Saturday's opening individual time trial, while Britain's Matt Brennan won Sunday's second stage in a sprint finish. Following the stage 3 cancellation, Pogacar maintained the overall race lead with a total time of 4 hours, 58 minutes, and 40 seconds. Wout van Aert of Team Visma-Lease a Bike remained in second place at 9 seconds back, with James Brennan in third at 10 seconds. Leo Bisiaux trailed by 12 seconds, Finn Fisher-Black by 14 seconds, and Stefan Kung and Jay Vine by 18 seconds. Mads Pedersen sat at 20 seconds, Primoz Roglic at 26 seconds, and Jordan Labrosse rounded out the top ten at 27 seconds.

Caravan transfers to Andorra for stage 4

Following the cancellation, the entire Vuelta caravan, including teams, support staff, and riders, evacuated the Mont-Louis area and travelled across the border into Andorra for their scheduled overnight stay. Racing is set to resume on Tuesday with stage 4, a 104.8-kilometre route starting and finishing in Andorra la Vella. The stage presents the first high-altitude mountain tests of the grand tour, with race organisers and forecasters anticipating favourable weather conditions across the principality. The peloton will look to contest the climbing sections in Andorra after the weather disruption in the Pyrenees.