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Hail Forces Vuelta Stage Cancellation as Pogačar’s 50km Solo Puts Him in Command

Organisers stopped a Pyrenees stage for rider safety, and Tadej Pogačar’s long solo the next day has opened a roughly 3-minute overall lead.

Overview

  • Race officials abandoned stage three with about 15 km to go after a severe hailstorm left ice on the road and raised lightning concerns, so organisers declared no winner or podium and left the general classification unchanged.
  • Riders including leader Tadej Pogačar pulled off the course and sheltered in nearby hotels and shops as the storm hit, and broadcasters reported live coverage disruptions while staff cleared thick hail from the finish area.
  • Racing resumed the following day when Pogačar launched an almost 50 km solo attack on stage four in Andorra to win by 2 minutes 39 seconds and extend his overall lead to about 3 minutes 21 seconds over Primož Roglič.
  • Stage five then returned the race to Spain with a bunch-sprint finish won by Matthew Brennan while Pogačar kept the red jersey and maintained his large time cushion.
  • The sequence exposed how extreme mountain weather can force immediate safety decisions and operational strain for a Grand Tour, and it leaves Pogačar in a position to control the race on the many summit finishes that follow.