Slovenian cyclist Tadej Pogacar was forced to abandon the Vuelta a Espana on Saturday, August 29, after suffering a heavy crash during the eighth stage near Xeraco in eastern Spain.
The 27-year-old race leader, who was wearing the red jersey, sustained a left shoulder injury and was taken away from the course in an ambulance with his arm in a sling.
The crash occurred 32 kilometres from the stage finish line near Valencia. Pogacar went down on his own on the left side of the road within the main peloton, bringing down several other riders as he fell.
Injuries and departure in ambulance
Images captured in the aftermath of the crash showed the five-time Tour de France winner with a bloody left shoulder, a cut to his eyebrow, and multiple scrapes across his hands and arms.
Although dazed by the collision, Pogacar initially attempted to remount his bicycle before deciding to stop. Medical staff offered him a stretcher, but the Slovenian declined it and walked directly to the waiting ambulance.
The Vuelta a Espana is professional cycling's annual three-week Grand Tour across Spain, alongside the Tour de France and Giro d'Italia. The leader of the overall classification wears the red jersey, known as the maillot rouge.
Dominant lead in overall standings
Pogacar had dominated the competition since the start in Monaco, building a substantial lead in the general classification. He held an advantage of nearly four minutes over his closest challenger, Spanish rider Enric Mas, and had claimed three stage victories during the race.
The Slovenian was seeking his first victory at the Vuelta a Espana, which would have completed a career trilogy of Grand Tour titles following his previous triumphs in France and Italy.
Career milestone and season targets
Saturday's withdrawal marks the first time in the 27-year-old rider's professional career that he has abandoned a multi-day stage race.
The injury ends Pogacar's ambition of winning the Tour de France, the Vuelta a Espana, and the World Championship in succession during the same season. The UCI Road World Championship is scheduled to take place in Canada at the end of September.
