The Stage 3 of the Vuelta a España did not end on Monday with a sprint finish or a mountain battle, but in chaos. A violent storm, accompanied by heavy rain and hail, forced the organisers to abandon the stage after around 160 kilometres. The riders, led by overall race leader Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates – XRG), subsequently sought shelter in a nearby hotel in the French Pyrenees.
As the weather conditions became increasingly extreme and large hailstones pelted down on the riders, the peloton left the race course. Around 180 professionals, support staff and other race personnel eventually found refuge at the Hotel Gesa Village Club Mont Louis Les Sorbiers, which spontaneously opened its doors to the soaked and freezing guests. Staff handed out towels and hot drinks and looked after the unexpected visitors.
The hotel is receiving a flood of good reviews
This exceptional hospitality did not go unnoticed. Shortly after the events, the hotel’s Google page was flooded with positive reviews. Several professional cyclists personally thanked the hotel for its help. Uno-X Mobility rider Tobias Halland Johannessen, for example, wrote that the hotel had been the “perfect place during a hailstorm” and praised the swift service provided to the professional cyclists who had arrived unexpectedly. William Barta (Tudor Pro Cycling Team) and Julien Bernard (Lidl - Trek) also left enthusiastic five-star reviews.
What began as a weather-related suspension of the race turned out to be one of the most heart-warming stories of this still-young Vuelta. Whilst Stage 3 ended without a winner, a hotel in the Pyrenees won the hearts of the peloton and countless cycling fans within a matter of hours. Meanwhile, the peloton drew closer together, even though the riders are competitors. In the end, only cycling can produce stories like this...
Leon Weidner
Editor
