Pogacar reflects on extraordinary Vuelta shelter episode: ‘Chapeau to the organisers’

What began as a difficult afternoon in the rain quickly developed into a situation in which racing was no longer considered safe. Strong winds, hail and thunderstorms hit the final part of the stage, leaving riders exposed as conditions deteriorated.

Eventually, the peloton left the road and headed into the IGESA Village Club Les Sorbiers, a nearby hotel that suddenly became the unlikely backdrop to some of the most remarkable images of this season.

Speaking ahead of stage four in Andorra, race leader Pogačar said the situation had developed rapidly.

“We were climbing when the really heavy rain started. Nobody had said anything yet, but Mads Pedersen came up to me and said, ‘Just be careful, go slow.’”

The weather soon became considerably worse.

“Then the hail started and pretty quickly we heard from the car that the race was neutralised,” Pogačar told Eurosport. “Everybody was in quite a lot of pain and nobody could really go fast.”

With conditions worsening by the minute, the riders spotted the hotel alongside the road.

“We saw the hotel on the left and it was kind of a united decision from everybody to turn in there,” he said. “Then the stage was cancelled quite shortly after that. It was an unfortunate event for the Vuelta, but everything happened very fast.”

Pogačar, who played an influential role within the peloton as conditions became increasingly dangerous, was particularly complimentary about the way race officials responded.

“It was a crazy experience, but in the end the organisation did super well,” he said. “Chapeau to them for cancelling the stage. I know it’s not easy to do.”

The unexpected stop also brought an unlikely beneficiary. The hotel where the riders found shelter suddenly found itself at the centre of cycling’s attention.

Pogačar was equally grateful for the welcome the riders received inside.

“Chapeau also to the hotel for hosting us for an hour and a half, bringing us towels and letting us shower. It was really good from them.”

The remarkable scenes quickly spread across social media, while cycling fans flooded the hotel’s online pages with positive reviews.

“I was reading the Google reviews this morning,” Pogačar joked. “I think the hotel will be quite famous now.”

With the drama of Monday behind him, Pogačar turned his attention to Tuesday’s stage in Andorra, a place that holds particular significance in his Grand Tour career.

It was here, at Cortals d’Encamp in 2019, that a 20-year-old Pogačar claimed his first ever Grand Tour stage victory. Racing his debut Vuelta, he attacked in the closing kilometres to take what would become the first of three stage wins in that edition, before eventually finishing third overall.

Seven years later, he returns to Andorra in very different circumstances, wearing the red jersey and entering the stage as the rider the rest of the general classification contenders will be watching.

“I have good memories from here. It’s a beautiful day and it’s still quite early in the Grand Tour, but I think today we will see a big GC battle,” he said. “We are ready as a team.”

After a day dominated by the weather, the Vuelta now heads back into the mountains, with the focus firmly returning to the battle on the road.