Giant Hail Forces Vuelta a España Stage Three Abandonment

A torrential hailstorm forced organizers to abandon the third stage of the Vuelta a España in the French Pyrenees on Monday, bringing the race to an abrupt stop with 15 kilometers remaining. Reuters reported that the peloton was approaching the top of the Col de Mont-Louis when large hailstones began striking the road and riders on the 174-kilometer route from Gruissan to Font-Romeu.

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Race officials canceled the stage on safety grounds as hail rapidly covered sections of the course. Organizers said there would be no winner and no podium ceremony. The decision ended a day that had begun in warm, sunny conditions on flatter roads before the weather changed near the mountainous finish.

Mats Wenzel of Kern Pharma and XDS Astana rider Lorenzo Fortunato were 25 seconds ahead of the peloton when the storm intervened, according to the Reuters report. Overall race leader Tadej Pogacar was seen signaling for riders to leave the course as conditions deteriorated and continuing safely became impossible.

Riders dismounted and sought shelter, with some entering a hotel along the route. At the planned finish, hail formed a thick layer across the road while spectators waited for a conclusion that could no longer take place. The cancellation prevented the breakaway riders and the main contenders from contesting the stage result.

Pogacar retained the red leader's jersey and his nine-second advantage over Wout van Aert. British rider Matt Brennan remained third overall, 10 seconds behind Pogacar. The Slovenian, racing for UAE Emirates-XRG, had stayed close to the front while his team helped set the pace before the stoppage.

The abandoned finish also delayed Pogacar's next opportunity to press his advantage in the mountains. Stage four is scheduled to start and finish in Andorra la Vella and includes three first-category climbs, giving the general-classification contenders another demanding test after Monday's weather prevented the race from producing a stage winner.