Severe weather and giant hailstones forced the sudden cancellation of Stage 3 of the Vuelta a España on Monday, August 24, 2026. Race leader Tadej Pogačar led the peloton off the course to seek shelter in nearby buildings as the French Pyrenees route turned treacherous, leaving the general classification unchanged.
What was supposed to be a grueling test of endurance in the French Pyrenees dissolved into a scramble for cover on Monday afternoon. Stage 3 of the Vuelta a España was officially cancelled due to hail and severe weather, robbing the peloton of its first major summit finish of the 2026 race and leaving the general classification frozen.
Tadej Pogačar Orchestrates an Abrupt Halt on the Col de Mont-Louis
The trouble began as the 174-kilometer route from Gruissan wound its way toward Font-Romeu. With roughly 15 kilometers remaining, a violent mountain storm unleashed torrential rain before dropping massive hailstones onto the riders scaling the Cat. 1 Col de Mont-Louis.
Mats Wenzel of Equipo Kern Pharm and Lorenzo Fortunato of XDS Astana were in a breakaway at the time the race was called off. Behind them, red jersey-wearing race leader Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) appeared at the head of what was by then a reduced peloton and imposed himself on proceedings. He dictated a slower tempo and then waved his arm in the air in a signal to slow down. After a short while, he pointed to the left, indicating a turn off of the course, which was taken by the rest of the riders in the group. There was a building of some sort there, which opened its doors to the riders, who all piled in to shelter from the storm. As team cars and staff caught up with the riders, they started to put jackets and layers on, as uncertainty grew regarding the continuation of the stage.
“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.”
Race organisers
Footage and reports from the mountain showed riders abandoning their bikes and piling into nearby shops, restaurants, and hotels to escape the pounding ice, which quickly caked the roadway in white. The riders started communicating and asking each other to slow down when the hail began, while the storm also brought the threat of lightning and left ice on the road.
Race Jury and General Classification Standings After Stage 3
Because the race was halted before reaching Font-Romeu, organizers confirmed that no stage winner would be declared and the traditional post-stage podium ceremony was scrapped entirely. Officials later canceled the stage as crews scrambled to clear accumulating hail from the finish area.
The general classification remains identical to how it stood at the start of the day. Tadej Pogačar holds the overall lead heading into the next leg of the competition. Slovenian Pogacar won the opening stage time trial on Saturday, before Britain’s Matt Brennan sprinted to victory in the second stage on Sunday.
| Rider | Team | Time / Gap |
|---|---|---|
| Tadej Pogačar (Slo) | UAE Team Emirates – XRG | 4:58:40 |
| Wout van Aert (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | 4:58:49 |
| Matthew Brennan (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | 4:58:50 |
| Léo Bisiaux (Decathlon CMA CGM Team) | Decathlon CMA CGM Team | 4:58:52 |
| Finn Fisher-Black (Red Bull – BORA – hans) | Red Bull – BORA – hans | – |
Shifting Focus to the Andorran Mountains for Stage 4
Tuesday’s fourth stage—the first mountain stage of the tour—is a 104.8km route that starts and finishes in Andorran capital Andorra la Vella. The action will continue Tuesday with Stage 4, a 104.8-kilometer mountain journey through Andorra la Vella, taking the peloton across the border following Monday’s dramatic abandonment.
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