Vuelta a Espana 2026 classifications stage 3 - Tadej Pogacar keeps race lead after cancelled stage
CyclingMonday, 24 August 2026 at 18:49
The first red jersey of the 2026 Vuelta a Espana will be decided immediately in Monaco, where a 9.4-kilometre individual time trial opens a race featuring more than 58,000 metres of climbing, repeated summit finishes and a second race against the clock later in the final week.
This live classifications hub will be updated after every stage with the latest General Classification, Points Classification, Mountains Classification and Best Young Rider standings, tracking the fight for the red, green, polka-dot and white jerseys from Stage 1 on August 22 through to the final stage in Granada on September 13.
The overall battle will be shaped by repeated opportunities for the climbers, from the early Pyrenean and Andorran tests to Calar Alto, Sierra de la Pandera, Penas Blancas and the decisive Collado del Alguacil. The two individual time trials and bonus seconds provide further chances for the gaps between the main contenders to change.
Sprint finishes and intermediate sprints will drive the points competition, breakaways can quickly transform the mountains standings and the white jersey will develop alongside many of the same stages that decide the general classification. Each update will show the latest standings after the day's racing and highlight the important changes across all four competitions.
General Classification Standings after Stage 3
Tadej Pogacar looked to be safe when it comes to maintaining his red jersey as UAE Team Emirates - XRG worked throughout the day, but nevertheless the stage cancellation led to an earlier decision.
All the results of the stage have been officially cancelled, and the overall classification remains exactly as it was before the stage. Pogacar continues to lead the race with 9 seconds over Wout Van Aert and 10 over Matthew Brennan.
All the positions of the previous day have been kept, with Léo Bisiaux, Jay Vine and Primoz Roglic as the only other climbers in the Top10.
| Rnk | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Pogačar Tadej | UAE Team Emirates - XRG | 4:58:40 |
| 2 | van Aert Wout | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | 0:09 |
| 3 | Brennan Matthew | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | 0:10 |
| 4 | Bisiaux Léo | Decathlon CMA CGM Team | 0:12 |
| 5 | Fisher-Black Finn | Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe | 0:14 |
| 6 | Küng Stefan | Tudor Pro Cycling Team | 0:18 |
| 7 | Vine Jay | UAE Team Emirates - XRG | ,, |
| 8 | Pedersen Mads | Lidl - Trek | 0:20 |
| 9 | Roglič Primož | Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe | 0:26 |
| 10 | Labrosse Jordan | Decathlon CMA CGM Team | 0:27 |
| 11 | Aular Orluis | Movistar Team | ,, |
| 12 | Laporte Christophe | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | 0:28 |
| 13 | Hayter Ethan | Soudal Quick-Step | 0:29 |
| 14 | Laurance Axel | Netcompany INEOS | 0:30 |
| 15 | Debruyne Ramses | Alpecin - Premier Tech | 0:31 |
| 16 | Torres Pablo | UAE Team Emirates - XRG | ,, |
| 17 | Rodríguez Carlos | Netcompany INEOS | ,, |
| 18 | Van den Bossche Fabio | Soudal Quick-Step | 0:32 |
| 19 | Johannessen Tobias Halland | Tudor Pro Cycling Team | ,, |
| 20 | Brenner Marco | Uno-X Mobility | ,, |
| 21 | Skjelmose Mattias | Lidl - Trek | 0:33 |
| 22 | Tronchon Bastien | Groupama - FDJ United | 0:35 |
| 23 | Kron Andreas | Uno-X Mobility | ,, |
| 24 | Mas Enric | Movistar Team | 0:37 |
| 25 | Carapaz Richard | EF Education - EasyPost | ,, |
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Points Classification Standings after Stage 3
The green jersey was to change hands if only it weren't for one detail: As the stage results were cancelled, so were the points of the intermediate sprint in which Hayter grabbed lots of them in order to try and climb onto the podium at the end of the day.
Hence Pogacar remains in the lead, but his chances of winning haven't improved, as he lost out on points in Font Romeu that he was likely to obtain.
| Rnk | Rider | Team | Pnt |
| 1 | Pogačar Tadej | UAE Team Emirates - XRG | 42 |
| 2 | Hayter Ethan | Soudal Quick-Step | 37 |
| 3 | Brennan Matthew | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | 30 |
| 4 | van Aert Wout | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | 25 |
| 5 | Miquel Pau | Bahrain - Victorious | 25 |
| 6 | Tarling Joshua | Netcompany INEOS | 25 |
| 7 | Laporte Christophe | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | 24 |
| 8 | Fisher-Black Finn | Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe | 20 |
| 9 | Pedersen Mads | Lidl - Trek | 20 |
| 10 | Hofstetter Hugo | NSN Cycling Team | 17 |
King of the Mountains Classification Standings after Stage 3
Likewise, the KOM classification was also set to change hands, with Mats Wenzel and Lorenzo Fortunato on the attack before the end of the stage. Hence, Koen Bouwman remains the leader of the classification.
| Rnk | Rider | Team | Pnt |
| 1 | Bouwman Koen | Team Jayco AlUla | 6 |
| 2 | Uriarte Diego | Equipo Kern Pharma | 4 |
| 3 | Hayter Ethan | Soudal Quick-Step | 1 |
| 4 | Fernández Sinuhé | Burgos Burpellet BH | 1 |
Youth Classification Standings after Stage 3
Matthew Brennan will begin stage 4 as the white jersey, after unexpectedly arriving at the end of the first mountain stage with the same time gap over Léo Bisiaux that he had obtained the previous day.
| Rnk | Rider | Team | Time |
| 1 | Brennan Matthew | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | 4:58:50 |
| 2 | Bisiaux Léo | Decathlon CMA CGM Team | 0:02 |
| 3 | Fisher-Black Finn | Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe | 0:04 |
| 4 | Labrosse Jordan | Decathlon CMA CGM Team | 0:17 |
| 5 | Laurance Axel | Netcompany INEOS | 0:20 |
| 6 | Debruyne Ramses | Alpecin - Premier Tech | 0:21 |
| 7 | Torres Pablo | UAE Team Emirates - XRG | ,, |
| 8 | Rodríguez Carlos | Netcompany INEOS | ,, |
| 9 | Brenner Marco | Tudor Pro Cycling Team | 0:22 |
| 10 | Tronchon Bastien | Groupama - FDJ United | 0:25 |
Teams Classification Standings after Stage 3
UAE Team Emirates - XRG continue to have the same lead over Team Visma | Lease a Bike at the end of stage 3, one of just three seconds.
| Rnk | Team | Class | Time |
| 1 | UAE Team Emirates - XRG | WT | 14:56:40 |
| 2 | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | WT | 0:03 |
| 3 | Netcompany INEOS | WT | 0:23 |
| 4 | Decathlon CMA CGM Team | WT | 0:25 |
| 5 | Tudor Pro Cycling Team | PRT | ,, |
| 6 | Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe | WT | 0:26 |
| 7 | Movistar Team | WT | 0:46 |
| 8 | Groupama - FDJ United | WT | 1:02 |
| 9 | Uno-X Mobility | WT | 1:09 |
| 10 | Soudal Quick-Step | WT | 1:12 |
You can check the full standings of each of the classifications at the 2026 Vuelta a Espana.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- Tomorrow is clearly a stage to stamp a win to this year's race. Pogi can realistically get a strong foundation lead and it very well could carry all the way to the end. Look what happened at the Tour when he hammered the race early and then almost got to coast to the win.md197524-08-2026
- It was a massive error on behalf of the Vuelta organization to give that idiotic woman access to the riders. They really should be making a public apology, although they will not, and she should be sent packing immediately.
santiagobenites24-08-2026 - The scourge of Social Media, some of these influencers are dangerous. shame on the Vuelta for giving her the platform.slappers6624-08-2026
- Was it in 2021 that Pogačar raced some mountains with rim brakes, and other stages with discs? I'd very much say that disc brakes have won races, with faster racing because of the aerodynamics, wider tires, new wheels, and stronger and later braking (on, say, descents). It wasn't just manufacturers that pushed discs onto the peloton.RidesHills24-08-2026
- Wow, I only just saw this. It's crazy that in this day and age, we have quite literally the most incredible cyclist of all time being hassled by some nobody influencer who thinks they are the centre of the universe and that everyone should know who she is. This influencer will have their 15 minutes of fame. Pogacar will have a legacy.Pogboom24-08-2026
- The first day of the race saw Pogacar take the win in a 9-kilometer long time trial at home in Anodrra. LOL! What and where is Anodrra. And whose house is there?MajorPayne24-08-2026
- Why would any cycling fan even watch that shit?MajorPayne24-08-2026
- sprinters doesnt really count in this sense, not the issue on hand but yes they need dolllars lets hope they get it!miguel24-08-2026
- Brilliant! I love it.Cyclingsbestfan24-08-2026
- They should rather have brought Nairo Quintana to the Vuelta.Hills3324-08-2026
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