Vuelta a España woes not over yet for UAE Emirates-XRG as young talent also abandons
CyclingSunday, 30 August 2026 at 15:10
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Follow us on GoogleUAE Emirates-XRG suffered another setback just one day after Tadej Pogačar withdrew. The Emirati team saw top talent Pablo Torres, one of the better climbers on the roster, withdraw during Stage 9.
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Torres was still in a relatively good position in the overall standings and also did important work for Pogacar on the mountain stages. Ahead of Sunday’s grueling stage, he was seen as one of the riders who could go his own way after Pogacar withdrew, but things turned out differently.
The Madrid native—like his teammate Jay Vine—had to drop back fairly early on and got off his bike not long after that.
It was Torres' first Grand Tour. After his withdrawal, UAE Emirates-XRG still has six riders in the race.
Video: Pablo Torres Withdraws from the Vuelta a España
David Bavin-HobbsChief Editor
David has been working in the sports & cycling industry for 16 years. Covering racing, business and technology, he has worked in communications for cycling companies, teams, and as a journalist. His proudest achievement is winning the first bike race he ever entered. He hasn't won a race since.
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Latest Comments
- - Not sure I buy the “nobody’s fault” line entirely. Course safety has to be better. A world champ face-planting on a stray stone isn’t just bad luck. Where were the motos and commissaires?julien29-08-2026
- - Matxin handled that interview with class. No blame game, just honesty. Cycling’s brutal — one second you’re flying, next you’re in an ambulance. Ánimo Tadej, vuelve fuerte.velodromevirtuoso129-08-2026
- - Quick question: when they said a rock on the road caused it near the finish, isn’t the run-in supposed to be swept by organisers? How common is that this late in a stage?cadencekingm29-08-2026
- - Gutted for Pogi. Shoulder injuries can be tricky — if it’s AC joint or collarbone, Worlds might be tight. Fingers crossed it’s just heavy contusions and those eyebrow stitches are minor.jeremya29-08-2026
- - Brutal day. You could see the whole UAE train soft-pedalling after the crash — pure respect to ride in as a group behind Coquard by 11’. Says a lot about team unity.samanthak29-08-2026
- - Love Brennan’s candour though. Two stage wins already, he’s earned the right to speak. Reset, recover, and pick a cleaner run-in later in the week. Go on lad!cadencekingm29-08-2026
- - Bit rich to call others “superheroes” when you also dive for gaps in sprints. Feels like excuses after missing the wheel. Own the positioning error—Laporte and WvA can’t do everything.patriciaw29-08-2026
- - Pogacar down, DNFs before the start, pile-up in the last km… safety protocols need a look. Barriers and road furniture on these Spanish urban finishes are brutal. UCI y la organización, por favor, más seguridad.bikebuffj29-08-2026
- - Can someone explain what “pedaling at 160 watts” means in this context? Is that like super easy pace for these guys? Trying to understand why there were still so many crashes if it was “easy.”davidm29-08-2026
- - Wild stage. Brennan’s quotes hit hard but he’s not wrong—finale was a bowling alley. Tenth after all that chaos isn’t catastrophic, but Visma’s train never properly formed once he lost Laporte’s wheel.sprocketspiny29-08-2026
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