Leader Pogacar abandons Vuelta after crash

Race leader Tadej Pogacar has ended his participation in the Vuelta a Espana following a crash during stage eight. The world champion, aiming to achieve a full set of Grand Tour victories, suffered a fall with around 33 kilometers remaining. Pogacar, 27, was part of the main group of riders when he lost control of his bicycle, injuring his left shoulder and the left side of his face.

The Slovenian initially attempted to remount his bike but ultimately walked unassisted into an ambulance, marking his first Grand Tour abandonment. Pogacar, the overwhelming favorite to win the three-week race, had led the competition by three minutes and 50 seconds over Spaniard Enric Mas in second place before the incident. Six-time Grand Tour winner Pogacar was poised to secure victories in all three of cycling's major stage races, having already triumphed in five Tours de France and a Giro d'Italia.

The UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider's accomplishments also include numerous other stage race wins and a record-breaking number of one-day monument victories. Despite his best performance of second in the 2025 Paris-Roubaix, Pogacar's decision to abandon the Vuelta underscores the challenges posed by the grueling demands of professional cycling.