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Tadej Pogacar has withdrawn from the Vuelta a España after crashing on stage eight, ending his attempt to win all three European Grand Tours. Enric Mas inherited the red jersey, while Bryan Coquard won a crash-affected sprint finish.
Tadej Pogacar's bid to win the Vuelta a España and complete a historic sweep of cycling's three European Grand Tours ended abruptly after a crash on stage eight.
The Slovenian had been wearing the red leader's jersey since winning the opening stage and appeared to be in a strong position to secure his first overall victory in the race. With more than 30 kilometres remaining on the route from Pucol to Xeraco, however, Pogacar moved across the road in the peloton and collided with another rider. The impact sent him to the ground, while several riders approaching from behind were also caught up in the incident.
Television replays showed Pogacar swerving to his right just before the collision. After the fall, the 27-year-old appeared to have difficulty standing and was surrounded by teammates from UAE Team Emirates-XRG, who immediately stopped to check on their team leader. Medical staff then attended to him, and Pogacar eventually walked to an ambulance with his arm supported in a sling.
His team later confirmed that he would be unable to continue the race, bringing an unexpected end to one of the most anticipated campaigns of the Vuelta. Sadly Tadej Pogacar has been forced out of La Vuelta following a crash on stage eight, the team said in a statement posted on social media.
Pogacar had arrived at the race after winning his fifth Tour de France the previous month, and victory in Spain would have made him only the ninth rider in history to win the Giro d'Italia, the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España. He had already won the Giro in 2024, meaning the Vuelta represented the final missing achievement in a remarkable Grand Tour record.
Pogacar began the stage with a commanding advantage of three minutes and 50 seconds over Enric Mas in the general classification. His withdrawal handed the red jersey to Mas, who became the first Spanish rider to lead the Vuelta since Jesus Herrada held the position in 2018. Austrian rider Felix Gall moved into second place, one minute and 11 seconds behind Mas, as the overall standings were reshaped by the crash and Pogacar's departure.
The stage itself also ended in dramatic fashion. Another crash took place during the final kilometre, disrupting the sprint and affecting several riders. Frenchman Bryan Coquard won the stage, with Denmark's Mads Pedersen finishing second and Belgium's Jordi Meeus taking third. While the result gave Coquard a notable victory, the main story of the day remained Pogacar's injury and the sudden change in the race for the overall title.
Mas now faces pressure from Gall and the rest of the field as the Vuelta enters its next phase without its pre-race favourite and defending Tour de France champion
Tadej Pogacar Vuelta A España Enric Mas UAE Team Emirates-XRG Grand Tours
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