Vuelta a España abandons – The full list of riders who have left the race

There are many battles unfolding in the Vuelta a España, from the pursuit of stage victories to the contest for prized jerseys and of course the overall victory, but no matter the task or aim and the success or failure of steps toward it on any given day a key priority that always looms large is making it through to fight on for another day.

Last year 49 riders lost that battle and abandoned the race along the way, for a myriad of reasons. Prominent among them at any Grand Tour is illness – with COVID-19 in particular taking a heavy toll at the 2022 race, and so did crashes, with the biggest name among the tally being the three-time winner Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma), when a fall on stage 16 took him out of the 2022 race as he sat in second spot overall.

For the 2023 edition, there were 176 riders on the start line when it began with a 14.8km team time trial in Barcelona. However, even on that first day, the field started the process of shedding riders, with wet weather and darkness making for treacherous conditions on the opening stage.

Some riders were out on that initial day – with an injured Laurens De Plus (Ineos Grenadiers) being the first DNF of this year's event – and others succumbed to the injuries later. 

Since then other crashes and illnesses have continued to take a toll, and by the end of stage 16, 150 riders remained in the race. Astana Qazaqstan's GC hopeful David de la Cruz was among the latest abandons, leaving on the second rest day with gastroenteritis and a fever.

The list inevitably continues to grow as the stages roll on and Cyclingnews will update the tally for this year’s Vuelta a España each day through the race.

Stage 1

Laurens De Plus (Ineos Grenadiers), DNF
The wet conditions intensified the darkness of the evening in Barcelona for the opening team time trial, and roads were slippery so it was never going to be easy for all to steer through the opening stages without crashes occurring. A number did, but most riders got up and managed to ride over the line but not Belgian rider Laurens De Plus. The 27-year-old tried, but to no avail, as it was clear that he couldn't go on and was instead taken by ambulance to hospital for a further assessment of his injuries. They revealed a non-displaced fracture on his right hip.

The abandon of De Plus leaves team leader Geraint Thomas a valuable rider down when it comes to the mountains.

Stage 2

Oscar Onley (Team dsm-firmenich), DNF

The Vuelta a España started in the best possible for Team DSM, who won the opening team time trial and put Lorenzo Milesi into the race lead in the process. However, things took a turn on stage 2 as while the rain continued to fall, so did riders. Scottish rider Oscar Onley was the unlucky one among them that didn't make it across the finish line of the 182km stage. The 20-year-old's first Grand Tour was over in just a little more than a day after he came down on a slippery corner and broke his right collarbone. 

“He was in really good shape and was strong in our team time trial yesterday,” coach Phil West said in a team statement. “It was also obvious in the stage today that he was in good shape and [we] feel he could have been a factor in the final today, which was also the plan. He’ll be sorely missed and the guys are disappointed he’s out, but these guys bounce back pretty well and Oscar’s motivated for what’s next; he just has to shake this off and move forwards.”

Stage 5

Eddie Dunbar and Filippo Zana (Jayco AlUla), DNF

Irishman Eddie Dunbar started stage 5 to Burriana, but did not make it out of the neutralised zone from Morella before he hit the deck. Sitting 42nd in the overall classification, Dunbar had already crashed twice starting with the rain-soaked team time trial in Barcelona on stage 1. On a sunny, dry day on Wednesday, the team leader was seen on the side of the road, appearing to have slid off the side under a guard rail and into a section of grass and his third crash of the Vuelta ended up being the final straw. Jayco-AlUla said it was impossible for Dunbar to push on the pedals after he landed on the same area that was already injured, but added that Dunbar's x-ray didn’t show any bone injury, with rest and treatment what was required to recover from his crashes, 

Filippo Zana was the second Jayco AlUla rider to not complete the fifth day of racing, leaving the team down a key stage win contender as well as a team leader. He climbed off his bike in the opening 15km due to ‘stomach issues’, with what the team doctor said seemed like a gastrointestinal virus, leaving him with no energy to keep riding.

Kobe Goossens (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty), DNS

The 27-year-old climber from Intermarché-Circus-Wanty was headed home on Wednesday instead of starting stage 5, due to injuries he suffered the day before. He was the last rider across the finish line, 12:10 behind stage winner Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck). Following the effort, Goossens was treated for injuries suffered to his knee, which included  multiple stitches. The next morning he was unable to continue in the Vuelta.

“The wound to my knee is too deep. I’m mentally out, sometimes cycling is cruel. I’m going home to recover,” Goossens said in a video the team posted to their social media.

Bryan Coquard (Cofidis), DNS

Bryan Coquard (Cofidis) did not start stage 5, succumbing to injuries from a crash the day before in the final 3km. He went down along with Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious) and was able to finish stage 4 with the help of teammate François Bidard, but the duo crossed the line 8:05 back.

"I'm going to take the shower on the bus and spend the evening in the emergency room to see what's really going on," his team posted to social media Tuesday evening, but the news was not good. 

"He will do additional examinations on his return to France. The medical staff suspects a fractured scapula," Cofidis said before stage 5.

Ruben Guerreiro (Movistar), DNS

The Portuguese rider for Movistar was another rider from stage 4 to go down in a crash. He managed to finish the 174km stage but 6:48 back. By Wednesday morning, the team confirmed Guerreiro had withdrawn from the Vuelta due to a fractured left clavicle that resulted from the crash. 

Stage 6

Andrea Bagioli (Soudal-QuickStep), DNF

Soudal-QuickStep put out the briefest of tweets to announce that Remco Evenepoel was now one teammate now, "Abandon of Andrea Bagioli" it read. No reason was given, but after the departure of the Belgian from the Giro d'Italia with COVID-19 of course there is plenty of attention being paid to any signs of illness within the ranks.

Lorenzo Milesi (Team dsm-firmenich), DNF

The first leader of the Vuelta a España after the stage 1 team time trial crashed on stage 2. That fall saw Lorenzo Milesi suffer some abrasions. He was then down again on stage 5 and on stage 6 he was forced to abandon due to the pain in his hand, which meant he could not hold his handlebars properly anymore.

Michael Hepburn (Jayco-AlUla), DNF

The opening team time trial tumble that took down most of the Australian team has delivered a heavy toll. Michael Hepburn was just the latest to leave after being involved. An experienced player for the young squad, he battled through to stage 6 but the team said he was too bothered by knee pain to continue. That leaves Jayco-AlUla with just five riders.

Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates), DNF

UAE Team Emirates lost one of its key riders when Jay Vine crashed in the frantic battle for the breakaway to form on stage 6, the second summit finish of the 2023 Vuelta a España. The crash took place with a handful of other riders within 15km of the stage start, Vine among those going down hard. The Australian suffered contusions to his left elbow and was taken to a nearby hospital.

Stage 7

Thymen Arensman (Ineos Grenadiers), DNF

Ineos Grenadiers' Thymen Arensman was involved in a pile-up with 5.2km to go on stage 7, coming down hard along with two teammate Egan Bernal, Alpecin-Deceuninck lead-out man Robbe Ghys and Romain Bardet (Team dsm-firmenich).

The Dutch rider was attended to by several medics and fitted with a neck brace before being transported to hospital in an ambulance. The official race medical bulletin later reported that Arensman had suffered unspecified head and collarbone injuries. 

Stage 8

Pierre Latour (TotalEnergies), DNF

Pierre Latour of TotalEnergies was one of the many riders to crash on stage 7, going down in the final 11 kilometres.  According to his team on social media, the French rider is “suffering from shoulder pain and multiple bruises”, and pulled out of the stage with less than 30 kilometres to go on Saturday.

Sam Gaze (Alpecin-Deceuninck), DNF

According to Alpecin-Deceuninck, Sam Gaze has been “struggling with illness", and was the second rider to abandon.  The New Zealander said, via his team’s social media, “I am extremely disappointed. I had hoped to recover and do more, but my body was empty.” 

His teammate Robbe Ghys was the final rider to cross the line on Saturday, alone, 28:42 behind the stage winner.

Stage 10

Jefferson Cepeda (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), DNS

Cepeda pulled out of the race before the time trial on stage 10. After crashing on stage 9 to Collado de la Cruz de Caravaca, the Ecuadoran suffered too much from his injuries to continue.

The team announced that Cepeda had not sustained any fractures, but on the day of the time trial he could not continue.

“Bad news from Valladolid. Jefferson tried until the last minute, but he can't start the time trial due to the fall," they posted on social media with a photo of Cepeda with a heavily bandaged wrist.

Javier Romo (Astana), DNS

Also the victim of a crash on stage 9, Astana announced that Spaniard Javier Romo had sustained a fracture in L3 vertebra. "We wish Javier to get well soon and see you in the races!" the team posted on social media.

Stage 13

Alan Jousseaume (TotalEnergies), DNS

The French rider suffered a broken hip during a crash on stage 12. Alan Jousseaume would go on to battle to the finish of the stage but was out of the race the next morning after the extent of his injury was discovered.

Robbe Ghys (Alpecin-Deceuninck), DNS

Grand Tour debutant Robbe Ghys was forced out of the race despite coming through a first-week crash. He was suffering from saddle sores. "I'm flying home today and will have surgery on Monday" he said after leaving the race.

Orluis Aular (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), DNS

Illness prevented the Venezuelan rider Orluis Aular from lining up for the tough stage to the Col du tourmalet. That has taken his team down to six riders, with Jefferson Cepeda already having withdrawn after a crash.

Callum Scotson (Jayco-AlUla), DNF

It has been a tough Vuelta for Jayco-AlUla, with Callum Scotson the fourth member of the team out of the race, which for the squad started with a mass pile-up in the wet team trial. The squad is now down to Matteo Sobrero, riding his first Vuelta but fourth Grand Tour, and three riders who are taking on their first Grand Tour, Hagos Welay Berhe, Felix Engelhardt and Jan Maas.

Stage 14

Rein Taaramäe (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty), DNF

Rein Taaramäe had already crashed three times in the first half of the Vuelta and had been hoping for a turn of fortunes in the second half of the race. However stage 14 spelt the end of his race, when the French rider became the latest addition to the abandon list.

Stage 15

Kévin Vauquelin (Arkéa-Samsic), DNF

The French rider became the very first Arkéa-Samsic rider to depart the 2023 edition of the race, with the team simply saying on Twitter, "Sick, Kévin Vauquelin was forced to abandon the 15th stage of the Vuelta."

Stage 16

Welay Hagos Berhe (Jayco-AlUla), DNS

Australian squad Jayco-AlUla are down to just three riders heading into the Vuelta's final week – Felix Engelhardt, Jan Maas, and Matteo Sobrero – after Berhe tested positive for COVID-19 on the second rest day.

David de la Cruz (Astana Qazaqstan), DNS

The Spanish climber is out of the race ahead of stage 16 after falling ill with gastoenteritis and a fever, his team has reported. He was lying in 11th overall, 9:25 down on race leader Sepp Kuss, at the time.

Rune Herregodts (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty) and Thomas Bonnet (TotalEnergies), both DNF

The two riders climbed off the bike partway through the fast and furious stage to end their time at the Vuelta. The cause of their abandons has yet to be revealed.