Five-time Tour de France champion and top contender Tadej Pogacar withdrew from the Spanish Vuelta following a crash on the eighth stage of the race on Saturday. The Slovenian, who had a significant lead in the race, was involved in a crash approximately 33 kilometers from the finish line. Despite attempting to resume cycling, he ultimately had to abandon the race and was escorted to an ambulance by race officials.
Pogacar, the leader of UAE Team Emirates, aimed to achieve the rare feat of winning all three Grand Tour races. Having won the Tour de France for the third consecutive time and claiming the Giro d’Italia victory in 2024, he had not participated in the Vuelta since his debut in the event in 2019.
Footage from the race showed Pogacar sustaining injuries to his head, left arm, and shoulder. After swerving into other cyclists, he lost control and tumbled over his handlebars, resulting in injuries to his head and shoulder. Team manager Matxin Joxean Fernandez disclosed that Pogacar required stitches for injuries on his eyebrow and other areas.
Fernandez mentioned that Pogacar initially wanted to continue despite the pain but eventually decided to withdraw due to the severity of his shoulder discomfort. Enric Mas of Movistar took over the race leader position from Pogacar after the incident, with Felix Gall and Primoz Roglic following in second and third places, respectively.
Mas, the new race leader, expressed mixed feelings about inheriting the red jersey due to Pogacar’s crash, emphasizing his support for Pogacar’s recovery. Pogacar’s primary rival, Jonas Vingegaard, did not participate in the Vuelta following a crash in this year’s Tour de France.
This marked Pogacar’s tenth Grand Tour and his first-ever abandonment. The three-week Spanish Vuelta will conclude in Granada on September 13.