Slovenia's cycling superstar forced out of Vuelta after devastating crash
Tadej Pogačar's bid to win the Vuelta a España ended abruptly when the race leader suffered a heavy crash and abandoned stage eight, leaving Spain's Enric Mas in the red jersey.
The Slovenian world champion went over his handlebars with around 31 kilometres remaining of the 171-km stage from Pucol to Xeraco, shortly after the intermediate sprint and on a flat stretch of road before the day's only climb, the Puerto de Barx, CE Report quotes The Slovenia Times.
Pogačar, who rarely crashes heavily, went down head-first and suffered deep cuts and wounds to the left side of his face, shoulder and elbow.
In an update following Pogačar's assessment at hospital, his team's doctor said Pogačar had been diagnosed with "a concussion, displaced left clavicle fracture, a stable C7 cervical fracture, and multiple abrasions".
Adrian Rotunno, the UAE Team Emirates-XRG medical director, also said that Pogačar "will require clavicle surgery which will be delayed due to concussion precautions". Further updates will be provided following the surgery.
Pain forces Pogačar to abandon
Several riders were caught up in the incident, but Pogačar appeared to be among the worst affected. His entire UAE Team Emirates-XRG squad stopped as race doctors and team staff treated him at the roadside.
The peloton initially slowed in a show of respect for the race leader, before eventually moving on. Pogačar tried to remount a few minutes later but cried out "no" and winced in pain when he touched his bike.
He was helped into an ambulance with his left arm in a sling and heavy padding around his shoulder and taken to hospital for further treatment and checks.
Television footage showed Pogačar riding near the front of the peloton when he suddenly swerved to the right, apparently making contact with another rider before hitting the ground. The exact cause of the crash was not immediately clear.
The abandonment was the first time the 27-year-old had failed to finish a Grand Tour and his first DNF in any race since Liège-Bastogne-Liège in 2023.
Pogačar had been race leader since the individual time trial in stage one.
Photo: Instagram/tadejpogacar
