Trek’s Belgian cyclist Jasper Stuyven celebrates winning the eighth stage of the 2015 Vuelta Espana cycling tour, a 182.5 km stage between Puebla de Don Fadrique and Murcia, yesterday. (AFP)

 

AFP/Madrid


Belgian Jasper Stuyven took victory on the eighth stage of Spain’s Vuelta on a day dominated by high-profile crashes.
Ireland’s Dan Martin, who was lying third in the overall classification overnight, and American Tejay van Garderen were forced to withdraw from the race after suffering a heavy crash 50km from the finish.
Stuyven edged a sprint finish to the line from Spain’s Pello Bilbao and Frenchman Kevin Reza to claim the 182.5km stage from Puebla de Don Fadrique to Murcia in a time of 4hr 06min 06sec.
Colombian Esteban Chaves finished in the leading group to maintain his overall lead by 10 seconds from Tom Dumoulin with Irishman Nicholas Roche a further 26 seconds behind in third.
Britain’s Chris Froome, who is aiming to become just the third man to win the Tour de France and the Vuelta in the same year, moves into 11th overall, 1min 22sec behind Chaves.
One of the favourites for the stage, France’s Nacer Bouhanni, also had to withdraw due to injuries suffered in the crash involving Martin and Van Garderen.
Stage three winner Peter Sagan’s hopes of another victory were also ruined by a crash with a support vehicle, but the Slovakian was at least able to finish the stage despite suffering significant cuts and bruises to his left leg.
American Tejay van Garderen has pulled out of the Vuelta after sustaining a possible collarbone fracture in a big pile-up during the eighth stage yesterday.
The BMC Racing rider, who also abandoned the Tour de France last month because of illness, fell off his bike with some 50 kilometres left along with other riders including Ireland’s Dan Martin who had been third overall before the stage and also abandoned.
“BMC Racing Team’s (Tejay van Garderen) has withdrawn (injuries from a crash),” BMC Racing wrote on their Twitter feed.
“We can confirm that Dan Martin has withdrawn from La Vuelta following a crash. Has been taken to the hospital,” Martin’s Cannondale-Garmin said on Twitter.
Leading French sprinter Nacer Bouhanni also hit the deck and pulled out, his Cofidis team said.
Belgian Kris Boeckmans, who was also involved in the crash, was taken to hospital but was conscious, his Lotto-Soudal team said.