Vuelta a Espana leader Tadej Pogacar abandoned the race on Saturday after sustaining a shoulder injury in crash during stage eight.
The Slovenian, who has been wearing the red jersey since winning the opening stage, went down in the peloton with over 30 kilometres remaining in the stage from Pucol to Xeraco.
A replay showed the 27-year-old swerving to his right and colliding with another rider before going down. He was also hit by oncoming riders, some of whom also fell.
Pogacar struggled to stand up as he UAE Team Emirates-XRG team-mates gathered to check on their lead rider, before medics came to assist. He later walked into an ambulance with his arm in a sling.
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“Sadly Tadej Pogacar has been forced out of La Vuelta following a crash on stage eight,” the team posted on X, confirming his withdrawal.
Pogacar, who won his fifth Tour de France last month, was primed to claim his first overall victory in the Vuelta, becoming the ninth rider to win all three European Grand Tours having also won the Giro d’Italia in 2024.
He began Saturday stage with a lead of 3 minutes 50 seconds over second-placed Enric Mas, who took over the red jersey following Pogacar’s withdrawal, becoming the first Spaniard to lead the Vuelta since Jesus Herrada in 2018. Austrian Felix Gall now sits second overall, 1 minute 11 seconds behind Mas.
Frenchman Bryan Coquard won the stage after several riders went down in another crash in the final kilometre. Mads Pedersen finished second and Jordi Meeus was third.
