Pogacar forced to abandon Vuelta after stage eight crash, Mas takes overall lead

Slovenian cyclist Tadej Pogacar was forced to abandon the Vuelta a Espana after a crash during stage eight. The 27-year-old, who had been wearing the overall leader's red jersey, suffered severe injuries including a concussion, a fractured clavicle, and a stable cervical fracture. Pogacar was airlifted to a nearby hospital where he was diagnosed with the injuries.

He will require surgery for his clavicle, although no other major injuries were reported and there was no neurological damage. Pogacar, who had won the first stage of the race, was aiming to complete the Grand Tour hat-trick by also winning the Vuelta. However, this goal came to a halt with his crash. Enric Mas of Movistar took the red jersey after the stage, becoming the first Spaniard to lead the Vuelta since 2018.