Shock and consequences of withdrawals in the eighth stage of the Vuelta a Espana 2026. The 171-kilometer stretch from Puçol to Xeraco, which on paper was not complicated at all, was plagued by a series of crashes that ended up leaving their mark on some of the great announced protagonists, first and foremost Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) who, having fallen badly shortly after the intermediate sprint, was forced to throw in the towel, leaving the Iberian race as the leader of the general classification.
In collective disbelief, the red jersey thus went, in a completely unexpected manner, to Enric Mas (Movistar), while Bryan Coquard (Cofidis) was the one celebrating the partial victory, defeating Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) and Jordi Meeus (Red Bull BORA hansgrohe) in the sprint.
To be updated.