Tadej Pogacar has officially withdrawn from the Vuelta a España on Saturday due to a significant fall that occurred 31km from the finish of stage eight, resulting in shoulder and face injuries.

The race leader from UAE Team Emirates-XRG was aiming for his first overall victory in the prestigious 21-day race, which would have added him to an elite list of riders to have won all three grand tours: the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia, and Vuelta a España.

The incident unfolded when Pogacar brushed shoulders with another rider, causing him to lose control of his handlebars. His team waited as the peloton continued without them. After attempting to remount his bike, he exclaimed “no” in pain when he touched it, leading to his immediate evacuation via ambulance.

Before his withdrawal, Pogacar held a commanding lead of 3 minutes 50 seconds over second-placed Enric Mas. Notably, this marks the first time the 27-year-old has failed to finish a grand tour.

In the race, Bryan Coquard of Cofidis claimed victory in the stage, with Mads Pedersen in second and Jordi Meeus in third. Enric Mas, representing Movistar, took the red jersey, becoming the first Spaniard to lead the race since Jesus Herrada in 2018. Felix Gall currently sits in second overall, trailing Mas by 1 minute 11 seconds.