Belgian rider Jasper Stuyven of Trek Factory Racing won stage 8 of the Vuelta on a day when several big names were forced to abandon following a crash.

Esteban Chaves retained the race leader’s red jersey on an eighth stage of the Vuelta a Espana which saw Dan Martin’s chances ended in a crash.

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.

According to Boeckmans’ team, Lotto-Soudal, the 28-year-old suffered severe facial trauma after running over a hole in the road and subsequently falling to asphalt, per Cycling News. The team reports that he may need surgery, and that he has been put into a medically-induced coma for the next few days. “It was a typical crash, everyone’s lined up, we’re entering the city, there are nerves, someone touches wheels, and you fall in a amusing way, and race is over”, Sánchez said of the pileup. There were nervy, risky descents.

While Boeckmans was being treated, Van Gardener was on the ground holding his arms across his chest.

Colombian Estevan Chaves was also held up in the same incident but fought back on ahead of the two third-category climbs to stay 10 seconds ahead of Dutchman Tom Dumoulin in the overall standings. His team said he was conscious. The Tinkoff-Saxo rider reacted angrily, kicking his bike and another motorbike.

Later in the race the Slovakian Peter Sagan, one of the favourites for the stage win, was brought down by one of the organisers’ motorbikes with less than 10km remaining and finished well back from the peloton.

Quintana said that, while the crashes were bad, the heat was brutal.

Tomorrow’s action will consist of a 168.3km “medium-mountain stage” from Torrevieja to Cumbre del Sol, Benitachell.