The Lotto-Dstny rider soloed to an impressive victory on the stage which took athletes 181.3-kilometres from Mataró.

He crossed the line after 4hour 22min 44sec before Australian Kaden Groves of Alpecin-Deceuninck in second and third-placed Italian Andrea Vendrame representing AG2R Citroën Team.

The downpour resulted in the general classification times being taken 9km from the finish in Catalonia.

At that point, EF Education-Easy Post rider Andrea Piccolo of Italy was narrowly ahead of Astana Qazaqstan Team's Spaniard Javier Romo to secure the leader's red jersey for the third stage.

Kron burst clear of the pack on the category three Montjuic climb and could not be caught.

The 25-year-old pointed to the sky in celebration, paying tribute to his late team-mate Tijl De Decker.

The Belgian died on Friday following a training crash which saw him crash into the back of a car.

"The team is going through a really difficult time and I want to dedicate this victory to Tijl De Decker," Kron said.

"Really great to win after what happened a few days ago.

"It's weird...we're happy we won but we want to take a moment to think about what happened." 

Belgian defending champion Remco Evenepoel of Soudal-Quick-Step suffered an early puncture and had to work hard to join the peloton.

The poor weather wreaked havoc with some of the race's favourites as Britain's Geraint Thomas of Ineos Grenadiers and three-time winner Primož Roglič of Slovenia and Team Jumbo-Visma both crashed before making their way back.

The Vuelta a España is set to continue tomorrow with the first of seven mountain stages.

The 158.5km route will take riders from Súria to the Andorran village of Arinsal.