08/29/26 10:43:00
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08/29 10:41 CDT Race leader Tadej Pogacar pulls out of Spanish Vuelta after
crashing during Stage 8
Race leader Tadej Pogacar pulls out of Spanish Vuelta after crashing during
Stage 8
XERACO, Spain (AP) --- Five-time Tour de France champion Tadej Pogacar has
pulled out of the Spanish Vuelta after crashing during the eighth stage of the
race.
The Slovenian held a big lead in the race but got caught in a crash near the
finish. He tried to get back on his bike but could not carry on and walked to
an ambulance. Race organizers 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.
TV footage showed Pogacar appeared to have hurt his left arm and shoulder.
Pogacar had a lead of 3 minutes, 50 minutes over Enric Mas of Movistar before
Saturday's stage, which did not feature any major difficulty and offered
sprinters a chance to shine along a flat 171-kilometer (106-mile) route from
Puol to Xeraco.
The three-week race concludes in Granada on Sept. 13.
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