Published on : 08/24/2026
The third stage of La Vuelta, between Gruissan and Font-Romeu, was set to feature the first summit finish of this year’s race. However, the weather conditions completely disrupted the day. Faced with heavy rain and hail in the finale, the race was first neutralised before the stage was eventually cancelled.
Six riders quickly went clear on the 174-kilometre route between Gruissan and Font-Romeu.
The wind also played a part in the day’s racing, with the first echelons of this Vuelta. The peloton split into several groups before eventually coming back together with around 70 kilometres remaining.
The day was also marked by the withdrawal of Alex Kirsch. After feeling unwell for the past two days, the Luxembourg rider was forced to abandon La Vuelta.
As the riders began the final climb towards Font-Romeu, the weather conditions deteriorated significantly. Heavy rain and hail hit the beginning of the climb, forcing several riders to stop and take shelter.
The race was then neutralised before the organisers ultimately decided to cancel Stage 3.
Reactions:
Paul Ourselin:
“Everything happened very quickly, within five minutes. We knew the storm was coming. At first, it started raining normally, then the hail came. We were told over the radio that the race had been stopped because we could barely see anything. The hailstones really hurt, they were lashing against us. Fortunately, there was a hotel at the top of the climb where all the riders were able to take shelter and get changed.
For me, cancelling the stage was the right decision. The conditions were no longer safe enough. There were hailstones on the road, it was slippery and it was impossible to ride back down in those conditions. There were also landslides on the road. We didn’t really have time to get cold because everything happened so quickly and we were soon able to take shelter and get changed.”
Louis Rouland:
“At the top of the climb, we had a rain shower that quickly turned into heavy hail. The hailstones really hurt. We then heard over the radio that the race had been stopped. From that moment on, we tried to shelter under the trees, before being told that a hotel could take us in. All the riders went there to take shelter.
We were able to get changed and the hotel gave us towels to dry ourselves and keep warm, as well as hot drinks. We then put on several layers with everything we had in our rain bags to make sure we warmed up properly, before waiting for the bus. The temperature dropped by almost 25 degrees between the start of the stage and the arrival of the storm.”