Tadej Pogacar crashed out of the Vuelta de Espana (Tour of Spain) cycle race on Saturday, ending his hopes of winning the only Grand Tour he has yet to win and throwing the race wide open.

The UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider had a heavy fall about 33 kilometers remaining in the eighth stage of the race from Pucol to Xeraco while riding in the peloton on a straight stretch of road.

The five-time Tour de France winner was taken to an ambulance with his face stained with blood. He was later diagnosed with a concussion, displaced left clavicle fracture, a stable C7 cervical fracture, and multiple abrasions, according to UAE Team Emirates-XRG.

Pogacar's withdrawal from the race when he held a commanding lead of three minutes and 50 seconds throws the Vuelta wide open. Movistar rider Enric Mas now moves into the leader's red jersey with an advantage of one minute and 11 seconds over Felix Gall (Decathlon CMA-CGM Team) with Primoz Roglic (Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe) a further 22 seconds behind.

Bryan Coquard (Cofidis) won the sprint ahead of Mads Pederson (Lidl-Trek) to claim his first Grand Tour stage victory.