The third stage of the Vuelta a Espana was called off on Monday following adverse weather conditions, with organisers confirming the race would not resume. Although the initial section of the route, stretching from Gruissan, proceeded under sunny and warm conditions, the situation changed drastically as the riders approached the mountainous section. Dangerous lightning appeared, forcing the race officials to halt the competition for the safety of the participants.
The moment of the stoppage occurred as the cyclists were ascending the Col de Mont-Lou. In that phase of the race, the Slovak rider Tadej Pogačar, who was aiming for the overall classification, was seen signalling to the rest of the main group to leave the course. Although five riders were involved in the leading group, with a total route length of 174 kilometres, the remaining 15 kilometres were abandoned at the precise moment it became clear that continuing was dangerous.
The competitors had to take shelter in the vicinity of the hotel to avoid exposure to the adverse weather conditions. Organisers ultimately announced that the third stage would not be re-run, meaning that no winner would be declared for that stage and no prizes would be awarded. The fourth stage, which was planned as the next step, is 104.8 kilometres long and starts in Andorra la Vella, with the start and finish at the same location.
