Vuelta Stage 3 Cancelled: Tadej Pogacar Leads Riders to Shelter Amid Severe Hail Storm

Race Organizers Cancel Stage 3 Following Violent Pyrenean Storm

The 174-kilometer stage from Gruissan in the Aude department to Font-Romeu in the Pyrénées-Orientales was officially halted after a dramatic escalation in weather conditions near the summit of the Col de Mont-Louis. Race officials confirmed on social media that the stage would not resume, with no winner declared and no podium ceremony held, citing rider safety as the primary reason.

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.

— La Vuelta (@lavuelta) August 24, 2026

Prior to the official organizational decree, race leader Tadej Pogačar took active measures on the road. According to television broadcasts and eyewitness accounts cited by La Presse, the Slovenian rider—wearing the red jersey—used grand gestures to urge his peers to slow down and seek shelter as conditions deteriorated rapidly during the final climbs.

Riders Seek Shelter Along the Route Near Mont-Louis

Television images captured an unusual scene in professional cycling as athletes abandoned their bikes to shelter against residential walls or inside local hotels along the route in Mont-Louis. Once the cancellation was confirmed, team buses were dispatched from the finish line to collect the cold and drenched competitors.

Before the storm interrupted proceedings, an early breakaway featuring Italian rider Lorenzo Fortunato of XDS Astana and Luxembourg’s Mats Wenzel of Kern Pharma held a lead of roughly 20 seconds over the main group. The peloton was being led by Pogačar, who was determined to win.

Standings Remain Unchanged Heading Into Andorra

Because the stage was officially nullified before completion, the overall general classification standings remain completely unaltered from the end of Stage 2. Tadej Pogačar retains the red leader’s jersey following his victory in the opening time trial in Monaco, maintaining a nine-second advantage over Belgian rider Wout Van Aert of Visma-Lease a Bike.

British rider Matthew Brennan, who claimed victory on Sunday, sits in third place overall at 10 seconds back, while French rider Léo Bisiaux occupies fourth place at 12 seconds, according to official stage data published by Ouest-France.

Stage 4 Offers Mountain Test in Andorra

The 2026 Vuelta a España continues Tuesday with the fourth stage, a short 104-kilometer route through Andorra that features three first-category climbs. The course includes the summit of the Port d’Envalira, which peaks at an altitude of 2,400 meters within the opening 25 kilometers of the race.

Meteorologists are forecasting clear skies and sunshine along Tuesday’s route, providing the peloton with its first major GC showdown in the high mountains. UAE Team Emirates rider Pavel Sivakov told Eurosport that his squad is fully prepared to support Pogačar as he defends his lead.