Story perspectives

Vuelta Stage 3 Canceled After Hailstorm Near Col de Mont-Louis

8/24/2026

Summary

Pogacar Hailstorm

Organisers cancelled Stage 3 after a severe hailstorm struck riders near the Col de Mont-Louis.
The storm hit with 15 km remaining on the 174-km Gruissan-to-Font-Romeu route.
Race leader Tadej Pogacar signaled riders to seek shelter.
Organisers said general-classification times will be taken at a point, leaving Pogacar nine seconds ahead of Wout van Aert.
Breakaway riders Mats Wenzel and Lorenzo Fortunato were 25 seconds ahead of the peloton when the stage stopped.

Summary

Roglic Returns

The 2026 Vuelta includes a record 58,000 m of climbing, making it a tough edition.
Forecasts predict 30-35 °C temperatures on southern stages, raising rider heat-safety concerns.
Organizer Javier Guillén said the southern route is a strategic design, not a token gesture.
British sprinter Matthew Brennan debuts in a Grand Tour with Visma-Lease a Bike after 19 wins.
Four-time champion Primož Roglic returns after a training-road collision, casting doubt on his form.

History

Historical Context

In 1998 a snowstorm forced the Tour de France’s 190-km Stage 12 from Saint-Étienne to Alpe d’Huez to be cut to 115 km, with UCI president Hein Verbruggen noting 2,300 riders and staff on the shortened route and a 12 % TV-audience dip. The same weather-driven disruption reappeared on the 2026 Vuelta’s Stage 3, prompting director Javier Guillén to tighten safety protocols and insurance clauses for future Grand Tours.

1 of 3

Pogacar Hailstorm

Organisers cancelled Stage 3 after a severe hailstorm struck riders near the Col de Mont-Louis.
The storm hit with 15 km remaining on the 174-km Gruissan-to-Font-Romeu route.
Race leader Tadej Pogacar signaled riders to seek shelter.
Organisers said general-classification times will be taken at a point, leaving Pogacar nine seconds ahead of Wout van Aert.
Breakaway riders Mats Wenzel and Lorenzo Fortunato were 25 seconds ahead of the peloton when the stage stopped.

1 / 3