Vuelta stage three abandoned after hail in Pyrenees

Race organisers abandoned the third stage of the Vuelta a Espana on Monday after a severe hailstorm struck the French Pyrenees. The stage was halted with about 15km remaining of the 174km route from Gruissan to Font-Romeu.

A severe hailstorm hit as the riders scaled the Col de Mont-Louis and Tadej Pogacar was seen indicating to the main group to pull off the course. Organisers announced the stage was cancelled "for the security of the riders" and said it would not resume, with no winner or podium ceremony.

Pogacar had won the opening stage time trial on Saturday, and Britain's Matt Brennan sprinted to victory in the second stage on Sunday. Overall race leader and favourite Tadej Pogacar was among those affected when the stage was stopped.

The general classification after the abandoned stage read: Tadej Pogacar (Slo/UAE Team Emirates-XRG) 4 hours 58mins 40secs, Wout van Aert (Bel/Team Visma-Lease a Bike) +9secs, James Brennan (GB/Team Visma-Lease a Bike) +10secs and Leo Bisiaux (Fra/Decathlon-CMA CGM) +12secs. It continued: Finn Fisher-Black (NZ/Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) +14secs, Stefan Kung (Sui/Tudor Pro Cycling Team) +18secs and Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) same time. Primoz Roglic (Slo/Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) +26secs and Jordan Labrosse (Fra/Decathlon-CMA CGM) +27secs.

Belgian rider Wout van Aert was not too impressed. Spectators at the finish line took shelter. Drenched riders sought refuge in a nearby hotel following the storm.

The race resumes on Tuesday in Andorra. Tuesday's fourth stage - the first mountain stage of the tour - is a 104.8km route that starts and finishes in Andorran capital Andorra la Vella.