Following the third stage of La Vuelta Femenina, Emma Norsgaard had to pull out of the race following a crash on stage 2.

"Dane Norsgaard's retirement from Tuesday's La Vuelta was due to elbow pain (bruising and stitches suffered after Monday's second stage) and significant cervical contracture from yesterday's crash," her Movistar team said on social media.

"The race ambulance took her to Obispo Polanco Hospital in Teruel, where tests for major injuries were negative. [Canyon Slam's Justina Chapra and Neve Bradbury were unable to run due to illness, and there were a number of retirements from the starting list, which had begun to dwindle before the race began.

Anna Henderson also crashed on the second stage and had to abandon the race. The Visma Lease-a-Bike rider, who broke her collarbone and has only just returned to racing, was DNS on stage 3. Clara Emon (EF Education-Cannondale) also broke her elbow in the same crash near the end of the stage.

FDJ Suez's Marta Cavalli and Vittoria Guazzini were also added to the abandon list for stage 3. Cavalli suffered a pelvic injury in training, delaying the start of the season.

"Unfortunately I was not able to start this morning at La Vuelta Femenina. Health comes first," Cavalli posted on Instagram. 'Cheering on my FDJ Suez teammates. Thanks to my team for always being on my side."

The French team, which includes Evita Mujic and Liege-Bastogne-Liege winner Grace Brown, lost Bradbury as a GC card, but the strong duo of Kasia Niewiadoma and Ricarda Bauernfind chased Canyon- overall. Along with SRAM, the field is now down to five riders.

Four riders, including Nathalie Glinzer (Roland) and India Grange (Coop Repsol), are listed in the stage 3 results as DNS and six as DNF.

The team announced that time trial world champion Ellen van Dijk (Lidl-Trek) would miss Wednesday's stage 4 "due to an injury sustained in stage 1."

"Unfortunately I have to leave the Vuelta Femenina. Yesterday I suffered quite a bit until the finish and now I have decided to give my body what it needs," Van Dijk wrote on social media. Justine Géquière (AG Insurance Soudal) also missed the race after the team announced that the Belgian "doesn't have the right legs."

At 142 km, stage 4 is the longest of the eight-day race, descending toward a group sprint in Zaragoza.

One such example is Tennielle Campbell of Liv Aroula-Jeico, who crashed on stage 3 but was able to finish, and her team reported on social media that she has no broken bones but some pain and will start stage 4 She reported on social media that she has no broken bones but is in some pain and will start the fourth stage.