Vuelta a Espana cancels stage three in Pyrenees after severe hailstorm halts peloton
Organizers halted the 174-kilometre stage from Gruissan to Font-Romeu 15 kilometres from the finish as riders sought shelter from ice and heavy rain in Mont-Louis.
Sudden hailstorm halts stage three in Pyrenees
The third stage of the 81st Vuelta a Espana was halted on Monday, 24 August 2026, after severe weather hit the peloton in the French Pyrenees. The 174-kilometre route from Gruissan to Font-Romeu had been scheduled to feature the first summit finish of the race, ending with a nine-kilometre climb to the ski station. Dry conditions at the start gradually deteriorated as the race entered the high mountains, with a heavy thunderstorm developing roughly 30 minutes before intense hail began. Approximately 15 kilometres from the finish, hailstones the size of ping-pong balls struck the 183 competitors. At an altitude of 1,600 metres near Mont-Louis, the road turned white with ice, creating dangerous conditions that disrupted television broadcast signals and reduced visibility for team support vehicles.
Peloton takes emergency cover across Mont-Louis
Faced with icy roads and extreme cold, riders quickly abandoned the route to seek shelter along the roadside. Tadej Pogacar, riding in the red leader jersey for UAE Team Emirates, moved to the head of the main group and used arm gestures to instruct the peloton to halt racing immediately. Numerous soaked competitors entered local cafes, while others sought refuge inside the IGESA Village Club hotel in Mont-Louis. A group of riders gathered one kilometre down the valley beneath the balcony of Le Clos Cerdan to escape the frozen precipitation. Race organizers neutralized the event on the road and officially confirmed ten minutes later that the stage would not restart.
For the security of the riders, stage three has been cancelled due to hail and severe weather.
- Six-rider breakaway forms on the 174-kilometre route from Gruissan
- Mats Wenzel attacks breakaway before Lorenzo Fortunato bridges the gap
- Severe hail strikes the peloton near Mont-Louis and riders take shelter
- Race organizers cancel the stage and freeze general classification times
Breakaway nullified and general classification frozen
The race had unfolded with an early six-man breakaway featuring Ethan Hayter, Olivier Le Gac, Magnus Cort, Asbjorn Hellemose, Timo Roosen, and Mats Wenzel, who built a maximum gap of 2 minutes and 40 seconds over the peloton. On the steep slopes of the first-category Col de Mont Louis, where gradients reached 10%, Wenzel attacked to drop his fellow escapees. Italian rider Lorenzo Fortunato attacked from the peloton and caught Wenzel near the summit, establishing a 40-second lead over the chasing peloton before the storm forced an abrupt halt. Following the cancellation, race officials confirmed there would be no stage winner and no podium ceremony. All general classification times were frozen at the standings recorded at the end of stage two.
- Tadej Pogacar
- 0 seconds
- Wout van Aert
- 9 seconds
- Matthew Brennan
- 10 seconds
- Joao Almeida
- 40 seconds
- Ivo Oliveira
- 119 seconds
Next stage through Andorra before entering Spain
The frozen standings keep Pogacar in the overall race lead, having previously won the opening time trial in Monaco and placed third on stage two. Wout van Aert of Visma-Lease a Bike remains in second place overall, nine seconds behind Pogacar, with his teammate Matthew Brennan in third place at ten seconds. Pogacar's UAE Team Emirates teammates Joao Almeida and Ivo Oliveira sit in 26th and 96th positions, trailing by 40 seconds and 1 minute 59 seconds respectively. The race moves into Andorra for stage four on Tuesday, covering a 104-kilometre mountainous route with more than 3,000 metres of elevation gain that crosses the 2,403-metre Port d'Envalira before finishing with a descent into Andorra la Vella. The peloton will not reach Spanish territory until stage five, with the Grand Tour concluding on 13 September in Granada.
