Leader Pogacar forced to abandon Vuelta after crash

Vuelta a Espana leader Tadej Pogacar has abandoned the race after a crash during stage eight left the five-time Tour de France winner with blood on his face and an injured shoulder.

Slovenian Pogacar, who has been wearing the red jersey since winning the first stage, went down in the peloton with just over 30km left in the ride from Pucol to Xeraco.

A TV replay showed the 27-year-old swerving onto his right, colliding with another rider before going down. He was also hit by other riders coming from behind, a couple of whom also fell.

He tried to stand up and get back on his bike as his teammates stopped around him, but he sat back down as medics rushed to him.

Pogacar, who won his fifth Tour de France last month and had won the Giro d'Italia in 2024, was aiming for his first overall victory in the Vuelta to become the ninth rider to win all three European Grand Tours.

"Sadly Tadej Pogacar has been forced out... following a crash on stage eight," UAE Team Emirates-XRG posted on X, confirming their rider's withdrawal.

He began the stage with a lead of three minutes and 50 seconds over second-placed Enric Mas.

Mas (Movistar) took the red jersey after stage eight, becoming the first Spaniard to lead the Vuelta since Jesus Herrada in 2018. Felix Gall is second overall, a minute and 11 seconds behind Mas.

Frenchman Bryan Coquard (Cofidis) won the stage after several riders went down in another crash in the final kilometre. Mads Pedersen finished second while Jordi Meeus was third.

"It's a real shame," Coquard, a first-time Grand Tour stage winner, said about Pogacar's crash.

"I hope he gets better quickly. We have still got a few races left and I hope he will be in good shape for them."