Hail Forces Cancellation of Vuelta a España Stage
Listen to the story
Slovenian cyclist Tadej Pogačar stopped racing during the third stage of the Vuelta a España, one of cycling's most important events.
The stage had to be cancelled after heavy hail began falling on the riders. Hail is small pieces of ice that fall like rain during a storm.
A picture showing the moment Pogačar decided to stop has become very popular. People online described the image as impressive and dramatic.
The Vuelta a España is a three-week cycling race that takes place across Spain every year. It is one of cycling's three biggest races, along with the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia.
During long stages, riders travel through different regions and can face sudden changes in weather conditions. Storms with hail or heavy rain can make roads dangerous for cyclists.
When conditions become unsafe, race organizers can decide to stop or cancel a stage to protect the riders' safety.
It is not unusual for a professional race to be cancelled due to extreme weather. Similar decisions have happened in past editions of major cycling races when storms created dangerous road conditions.
Pogačar is considered one of the best cyclists in the world today. He has won several major races, including previous editions of the Tour de France.
No further details were given in the report about how the rest of the race schedule would be affected.
Vocabulary10 words
- cyclist
- a person who rides a bike in races
- cancelled
- stopped from happening
- hail
- small balls of ice that fall during storms
- stage
- one day's part of a multi-day race
- weather conditions
- the state of the weather at a certain time
- organizer
- a person or group that manages an event
- dangerous
- not safe; could cause harm
- extreme
- very strong or unusual
- schedule
- the planned times for events
- professional
- done as a paid job, at a high level
Quiz
Answer key
1. Heavy hail 2. A major cycling race in Spain 3. To protect riders' safety
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Slovenian _____ Tadej Pogačar stopped racing during the third stage of the Vuelta a España.
The stage had to be _____ after heavy hail began falling on the riders.
_____ is small pieces of ice that fall like rain during a storm.
A picture showing the moment Pogačar decided to stop has become very _____.
The Vuelta a España is a three-week cycling race that takes place across _____ every year.
During long stages, riders can face sudden changes in weather _____.
Storms with hail or heavy rain can make roads _____ for cyclists.
When conditions become unsafe, race _____ can decide to stop or cancel a stage.
It is not unusual for a professional race to be cancelled due to _____ weather.
Pogačar is considered one of the best _____ in the world today.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think weather safety is important in sports like cycling?
- Have you ever seen a sports event stopped because of bad weather? What happened?
- Do you think cancelling a stage is the right decision when it's dangerous? Why or why not?
- What other outdoor sports could be affected by sudden storms?