Huge tornado rips through southern France as Vuelta cyclists flee giant hailstorm

On Monday, the third stage of the Vuelta a España was abruptly halted due to a torrential hailstorm in the French Pyrenees. As riders approached the final stretch of the 174-kilometer route from Gruissan to Font-Romeu, the skies suddenly darkened and hailstones began pelting the road. Mats Wenzel (Kern Pharma) and Lorenzo Fortunato (XDS Astana) led the peloton by 25 seconds, but race leader Tadej Pogacar signaled for the group to pull off the course when the weather intervened.

The riders swiftly dismounted and sought refuge inside a hotel. ASO, the race organizers, subsequently announced that the stage would not resume, leaving spectators disheartened as thick layers of hail coated the road. Slovenia's Tadej Pogacar maintained his overall lead of nine seconds over Belgium's Wout van Aert, with Britain's Matt Brennan trailing 10 seconds behind.

The stage was initially expected to be a challenging one, featuring three first-category climbs, as the race would start and finish in Andorra la Vella. Pogacar, aiming to complete his Grand Tour collection by claiming his first Vuelta victory, was typically in the front of the pack, with his team dictating the pace. However, the unexpected weather forced an anticlimactic finish, denying Pogacar the opportunity to solidify his advantage in the race.