Jasper Stuyven wins stage eight as Tejay Van Garderen crashes out of Vuelta

BMC rider Van Garderen abandoned the race along with Ireland's Dan Martin (Cannondale-Garmin), Frenchman Nacer Bouhanni (Cofidis) and Belgium’s Kris Boeckmans (Lotto-Soudal) after a mass pile-up fifty kilometres from the finish of the 182.5km stage from Puebla de Don Fadrique.

In quite shocking scenes, Slovakia's Peter Sagan (Tinkoff-Saxo) was also knocked off his bike in an apparent collision with a neutral race vehicle in the closing 10km of the race – just as the race was entering its business end following back-to-back ascents of the Cresta del Gallo climb.

The victory on a charged and controversial day in Spain went to 23-year-old Belgian Stuyven, who beat Spaniard Pello Bilbao (Caja Rural) and Frenchman Kevin Reza (FDJ) in a bunch gallop.

Stuyven himself was involved in the high-speed crash that ended Van Garderen’s chances, the Trek sprinter admitting after the stage that he hurt his wrist in the fall.

Colombian Estevan Chaves (Orica-GreenEdge) was also held up in the incident but fought back on ahead of the two third-category climbs to retain his 10-second lead over Dutchman Tom Dumoulin (Giant-Alpecin) in the overall standings.

After a solid tenth place in Murcia, Ireland’s Nicolas Roche (Team Sky) moved up to third place in the general classification following the withdrawal of his compatriot Martin.

A sustained downhill trajectory after the start at Puebla de Don Fabrique - described as the most beautiful and unspoiled village in the whole of Andalusia – made for a fast start to the stage, and it was not until 36km that a break formed.

Iljo Keisse (Etixx-Quick Step), Jimmy Engoulvent (Europcar), Alex Howes (Cannondale-Garmin), Tom Van Asbroeck (LottoNL-Jumbo), Mattia Cattaneo (Lampre-Merida) and Ángel Madrazo (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) built up a maximum lead of around five minutes.

But by the time the race hit the first of two ascents of the Cresta del Gallo climb that gap had dropped to below the minute-mark as the Giant-Alpecin team of John Degenkolb and the Sagan’s Tinkoff-Saxo outfit combined on the front of the pack.

Shortly before the dual ascent, a huge pile-up split the pack in two in Murcia with a cluster of big-name riders hitting the deck. Lotto-Soudal’s Boeckmans looked worse off as he lay in the recovery position in the middle of the road, but BMC’s Van Garderen was in obvious pain as he held his arm in a way to suggest the collarbone could have broken.

Both riders withdrew from the race alongside sprinter Bouhanni (Cofidis) and all-rounder Martin, riding his final Grand Tour for Cannondale-Garmin before an end of season switch to Etixx-QuickStep. All riders were taken to hospital but were said to be in a stable condition.

Race leader Chaves was caught up in the debris but the red jersey was paced back to the main pack by his Orica-GreenEdge team ahead of the opening climb.

The coarse surface and narrow road of the Cresta del Gallo whittled the break down to just two riders as American Howes crested the summit with a small gap over Spaniard Madrazo.

But an overeager Howes came a cropper on the descent, overcooking a tight bend and unclipping before tumbling over the handlebars in a slow-speed yet nevertheless calamitous crash.

Howes was overtaken by Madrazo before both riders were swallowed up by the streamlined peloton with 33km remaining. A cluster of riders – including local boy Jose Joaquin Rojas (Movistar) and Sergio Henao (Team Sky) attacked on the second ascent but never held more than 20 seconds over the pack.

Rojas went over the barrier on the same tight corner that did for Howes’ chances on the previous descent as three riders - Alberto Losada (Katusha), Kenny Elissonde (FDJ) and Jose Goncalves (Caja-Rural) – managed to open up a small gap heading into the final 10km.

Green jersey Sagan was driving the chase when he appeared to veer into the path of a passing motorbike – resulting in some nasty road-rash to his left buttock after his bib shorts were ripped to shreds.

The furious Slovakian lashed out at the motorbike, kicked his own bike and apparently punched the race medical car in the ensuing stormy scenes. Sagan eventually crossed the line over five minutes in arrears on a day he was tipped to double his stage tally.

In the absence of Sagan, Bouhanni and Degenkolb, the final sprint was a curious affair in which some second-tier talent was allowed to shine – but only after Australian veteran Adam Hansen (Lotto-Soudal) saw a trademark dig from distance stifled inside the closing kilometre.

Riding his second Vuelta, Stuyvens made the most of his opportunity to win by a bike length over Bilbao as Reza took third ahead of Giovanni Visconti (Movistar) and Kristian Sbaragli (MTN-Qhubeka).

Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) was the first of the race favorites to cross the line, the Spanish veteran – and Murcia local – taking 11th place with Chaves right in his wheel.

Britain’s Chris Froome (Team Sky) finished safely in the pack and stays 1:22 behind Chaves on GC in 11th position.

COMING UP: Sunday’s 147km stage nine from Torrevieja to Cumbre del Sol finishes atop the Cat.1 Alto de Puig Llorenca and will be the second major rendez-vous for the race favourites in this year’s 80th edition of the Vuelta.