Medical Reports & Withdrawals Vuelta a Espana 2026 Stage 21 - 142 riders reach Granada as peloton navigates final stage without abandon
Cycling
Crashes, illness and injuries can quickly reduce the Vuelta a Espana peloton, with some riders abandoning during a stage and others only ruled out after further assessment once the racing has finished.
This live 2026 Vuelta a España Medical Reports and Withdrawals hub will be updated throughout the race with every confirmed DNS, DNF and abandonment, together with verified injury and illness information released by teams, riders and race officials.
Where scans, hospital examinations or later team statements provide further detail, those updates will be added as they are confirmed. The page will provide a running record of the riders forced out of the 2026 Vuelta and the confirmed reasons behind each withdrawal where that information is available.
Stage 1
The full peloton was able to get through the opening time trial unscathed, although Visma's Bruno Armirail did endure a momentary mechanical scare.
Stage 2
Sergio Chumil is the first withdrawal from the Vuelta, having crashed throughout the second day of the race and abandoning due to its consequences. Sergio Samitier, Frederik Wandahl and Cian Uijtdebroeks were also affected by crashes throughout the stage.
Stage 3
The third stage of the race was cut short due to the hail storm that the riders faced en route to Font Romeu. Nevertheless, this happened in the final kilometers, and a lot had happened before. For Cofidis' Alex Kirsch, the race came to an end after feeling unwell.
Stage 4
Nothing to note
Stage 5
The stage has seen two withdrawals. One is Lotto-Intermarché's Roel van Sintmaartensdijk whilst the second is Cian Uijtdebroeks. The Movistar rider suffered an ankle fracture earlier in the race and after coming across the line in last and in tears over stage 4, he did not start the fifth day of the race.
Stage 6
Two riders left the race on stage 6. Joshua Tarling's race came to an end as the Welshman decided to abandon after having earlier made the brave choice to start the race so soon after family tragedy. Elsewhere, son of Spanish ex-pro Joseba Beloki, Markel Beloki also was a DNF.
Stage 7
Luca Van Boven (Lotto–Intermarché) fell heavily with around 23 kilometres remaining after an XDS Astana rider moved across him near the back of the peloton. Van Boven was forced over a kerb but appeared able to continue.
Stage 8
Luca van Boven was the only non-starter on a day where crashes marked the race. The Lotto-Intermarché rider was diagnosed with two broken ribs and a collapsed lung after his crash on the previous stage.
On the neutralized section of the stage, a fall immediately took down several riders in the peloton. Diego Uriarte was involved and abandoned the race as a result. Pavel Sivakov of UAE and Gianmarco Garofoli were also involved, in the middle of several others. Shortly after several riders went down and Picnic's Mattia Gaffuri was forced to withdraw.
A mass crash with 33 kilometers to go then changed the race as a whole, with Tadej Pogacar falling and being forced to leave the race. He was suspected to have a fractured collarbone, carrying injuries in his shoulder and face. Ben Tulett and Magnus Cort NIelsen were amongst those involved in the fall as well.
Another fall took down several riders with 10 kilometers to go including Carlos Canal, Carlos Rodríguez, Luke Tuckwell, Roland Thalmann, Jan Hirt and Rudy Porter.
In the final kilometer, yet another mass crash happened as high speed, affecting several more unidentified riders. Floris van Tricht also withdrew from the race.
Stage 9
UAE Team Emirates - XRG lost another rider after the disappointment of Tadej Pogacar the day before, as Pablo Torres was one of three riders to abandon alongside Victor Langellotti and Kaden Groves.
Stage 10
Post-rest day, two riders didn't take to the start of Stage 10, those being the New Zealand national champion George Bennett, and Team Picnic PostNL's Henri-François Renard-Haquin.
During the stage itself, Netcompany INEOS were then removed of a rider by the abandon of Ben Turner, stage winner at La Vuelta in 2025.
Stage 11
Mads Pedersen has abandoned the race before the start of stage 11. The team has written on social media: "Unfortunately, Mads Pedersen will not take the start of today’s stage 11 of La Vuelta. After battling illness over the past few days, Mads will now focus on making a full recovery before turning his attention to his remaining targets this season".
UAE's Kevin Vermaerke and Jayco's Hamish McKenzie have suffered a crash with 40 kilometers to go.
Stage 12
Plenty riders abandoned the race during the 12th stage of the race. Three of them did not actually start it: Lindsay de Vylder; David González and Visma's Ben Tulett.
Furthermore thre riders began the stage but did not finish it. They were Jay Vine of UAE; Arthur Kluckers and Hamish McKenzie.
Oscar Onley suffered a crash during the stage which proved to be harmful for his Vuelta ambitions, whilst riders such as Gregor Muhlberger and Frederik Wandahl have also been confirmed to go down.
Stage 13
After the DNS of Alexey Lutsenko in his final Grand Tour, UAE Team Emirates - XRG were then among the teams weakened further with Pavel Sivakov one of four further mid-stage exits.
Most notable among the DNF's was Gregor Muhlberger, who had impressed throughout the race in support of Felix Gall, and started the day 9th on GC. Also out were Francesco Busatto and Sente Sentjens.
Stage 14
After the DNS of Moritz Kretschy at the start of the day, four further riders abandoned over the course of the stage. Most notable among them was Christophe Laporte, who has played a key role in the stage wins on Visma teammates Matthew Brennan and Wout van Aert.
The three other riders leaving the race were the Brit Oliver Peace, plus Hugo Houle and Jordan Labrosse.
Stage 15
Nothing to note.
Stage 16
Due to the effects of a previous crash, Team Picnic PostNL rider Timo Roosen has been forced to abandon the race during today's stage. During the final kilometers of the stage, a crash involved Ivo Oliveira of UAE Team Emirates - XRG (as well as one more UAE rider) and Tobias Johannessen of Uno-X Mobility, amongst others.
Stage 17
Nothing to note.
Stage 18
The only incident was Richard Carapaz slipping while walking in his cleats towards the start ramp. He remained upright, and finished the time trial in 24th place.
Read also
Stage 19
After winning stage 18, Stefan Küng has withdrawn from the race so as to prepare for the World Championships in Canada. Astana's Yevgeniy Fedorov also did not start the day.
During the stage, Paul Double has not finished it; Whilst Lidl-Trek's Jacopo Mosca was the victim of a crash.
Stage 20
Three riders were DNF at the end of the penultimate stage. Most notably, Stage 19 winner Eddie Dunbar. Also out are both Matthew Riccitello, who'd played a key support role for Felix Gall throughout the race, and Chris Hamilton, both of whom were victims of a high-speed crash on the same corner, although in different instances.
Stage 21
Nothing to note.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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