Five-time winner of the Tour de France and top contender Tadej Pogacar withdrew from the Spanish Vuelta following a crash on the eighth stage. Despite holding a significant lead in the race, the Slovenian cyclist was involved in an incident about 33 kilometers from the finish line. Pogacar attempted to resume cycling but eventually had to abandon and seek medical assistance. Race officials confirmed his withdrawal from the competition.
Pogacar, the leader of UAE Team Emirates, aimed to achieve the rare feat of winning all three Grand Tour races. Having recently secured his third consecutive Tour de France victory and fifth overall win, along with triumphing in the Giro d’Italia in 2024, he had high aspirations for the Vuelta. Unfortunately, Pogacar’s return to the event he debuted in 2019 was cut short due to the crash.
Footage from the race showed Pogacar sustaining injuries to his head, left arm, and shoulder. The incident occurred as he veered into other riders while trying to avoid an obstacle on the road. Pogacar lost control, flipping over his handlebars and sustaining significant injuries.
Matxin Joxean Fernandez, the sports manager of UAE Team Emirates, revealed that Pogacar required stitches on his eyebrow and other areas post-crash. Fernandez acknowledged the unpredictability of such events in cycling and emphasized Pogacar’s initial determination to continue despite the pain before realizing he could not push through.
Following Pogacar’s exit, Enric Mas of Movistar took the lead in the race, with Felix Gall and Primoz Roglic closely trailing behind. Mas expressed mixed feelings about claiming the leader’s jersey under the circumstances, showing solidarity with Pogacar and focusing on his recovery.
Pogacar’s absence from the Vuelta marked his first abandonment in ten Grand Tour appearances, having consistently finished no lower than third place. The three-week race is set to conclude in Granada on September 13, with the cycling community awaiting Pogacar’s recovery and return to competition.