The green jersey wearer animated the third stage before the extreme weather forced the organisers to cancel it.
Ethan Hayter has been in the spotlight in all three stages of the race so far: second for the smallest of margins on the opening day time trial, most combative after 180 kilometers at the front on the roads to Manosque, and part of the breakaway for the second day in a row on what should have been the first summit finish of the Vuelta.
Just two kilometers into the stage that was supposed to finish atop Fort Romeu, the 27-year-old attacked and formed a solid group together with five other riders. Once again, he was prominent in the breakaway, helping it take the gap to three minutes before the peloton began chewing into it. Around 25 kilometers from the finish, on the first climb of the day, Ethan was overhauled by the chasers, minutes before chaos ensued.
Heavy rain started, quickly turning into hail, which prompted the organisers to stop the race while the riders started to put jackets on and seek shelter at the roadside. As the weather didn’t improve half an hour later, it was decided to cancel the stage for the security of the riders, meaning there was no official result on Monday.
Photo credit: ©Dario Belingheri / Getty Images
