As Tadej Pogacar gingerly stepped into the waiting ambulance, a funereal hush descended on the peloton. His teammates rolled forlornly over the finish line together like soldiers mourning a fallen commander; new race leader Enric Mas refused to don the red jersey out of respect for the patron.

But cycling waits for no one, and by the next day, the general classification battle ignited in earnest. Stage nine’s full-throttle racing between the top names set the tone for how this Vuelta a España will play out, with four men poised to capitalize on Pogacar’s untimely exit.

Pogacar’s crash made a mockery of the many confident declarations of his victory, making it difficult to predict who will now win the most open grand tour in years. Barring a miraculous late comeback from someone further down the standings, one of Mas, Primoz Roglic, Felix Gall, or Oscar Onley will be wearing red in two weeks’ time, depending on all of them avoiding Pogacar’s misfortune.

As of the first rest day, Mas sits 1’18” ahead of four-time champion Roglic, with Gall a further 21 seconds back. In provisional fourth sits Britain’s Onley, 2’20” behind Mas and 41 seconds behind Gall.

• Roglic brings unparalleled experience, having won in Spain a record-equalling four times, but at 36, he may not be in peak form.
• Mas, in unknown territory, rides for a Spanish team and carries the weight of expectation after securing Movistar’s first stage win in five years.
• Onley, at 23, remains an unknown quantity, having shown maturity in previous races but lacks extensive grand tour experience.
• Gall, with the strongest team on paper, aims to control the race but faces criticism for their strategies.

With no team as strong as UAE Team Emirates XRG, the race will likely hinge on individual brilliance or collapse. The psychological challenge of grand tour racing intensifies as they face the blistering heat of Andalusia and the upcoming major summit finishes.

The first challenge is how the riders will manage the heat, with four major summit finishes to come, including an individual time trial on stage 18. Success for Gall, Mas, and Onley could define their careers, while Roglic seeks a sweet ending. Pogacar’s absence has reshaped the race dynamics, leaving a gripping contest ahead.