Tadej Pogačar has crashed on stage eight of La Vuelta. (Reuters: Bruna Casas)
Tadej Pogačar has abandoned the Vuelta a España after crashing during the eighth stage of the race.
Pogačar, trying to become the ninth man to win all three grand tours, had a led by more than three minutes at the start of Saturday's stage.
Spanish rider Enric Mas now has the leader's red jersey.
Five-time Tour de France champion and overwhelming favourite Tadej Pogačar has pulled out of the Vuelta a España after crashing during the eighth stage of the race.
The Slovenian held a big lead in the race but got caught in a crash about 33 kilometres from the finish on Saturday, local time.
He tried to get back on his bike but could not carry on and walked to an ambulance. Race organisers confirmed he pulled out of the race.
The UAE Team Emirates leader was trying to become the ninth male rider to win all three grand tour races.
Pogacar won the Tour de France for a third straight time and a record-tying fifth overall in July, and he claimed the Giro d'Italia win in 2024. He had not raced in the Vuelta since making his grand tour debut at the event in 2019.
Footage showed Pogačar with cuts on his head as well as his left arm and shoulder. Pogačar veered to his right, into other cyclists, as he appeared to try to either hit or avoid something in the road.
He lost control and flew over his handlebars, hitting his head and shoulder.
UAE Team Emirates sports manager Matxin Joxean Fernandez said after the stage that Pogačar had needed stitches in his eyebrow and elsewhere.
"It's no-one's responsibility … It's simply one of those things that happens in cycling, unfortunately," Fernandez said.
"He initially wanted to keep going, but we saw he was in a lot of pain in his shoulder and decided he couldn't continue. There isn't much else to say.
"After seven days Tadej was happy and it's a very big shame for him, cycling is about good and bad and [we hope] Tadej recovers as soon as possible because hopefully it's not something too bad, we're not going to think about that right now but we'll see what the doctor says."
