Vuelta a Espana: Peter Sagan joins list of abandonments

Sagan won his first Grand Tour stage in two years on stage three of the Vuelta

Peter Sagan's Tinkoff-Saxo team have threatened legal action after he was knocked out of the Vuelta a Espana by an official race motorbike.

Sagan, one of the favourites to win Saturday's stage eight, collided with a race motorbike 10km from the end but managed to ride to the finish line.

Five other riders abandoned after a crash which resulted in Belgium's Kris Boeckmans being put in an induced coma.

"Sagan cannot safely continue to race," said Tinkoff-Saxo in a statement.

The statement continued: "He was hit by a reckless auxiliary motorbike and suffered wounds and burns of first and second degree on the left side of his body, from the hip to the lower leg. In addition, he has a contusion on his left forearm with an intra-muscular haematoma."

Slovakian Sagan kicked the motorbike and his own bike before finishing the stage five minutes behind the winner.

The leader of the points jersey classification said: "Unfortunately, it isn't the first time such an incident happens.

"Even if motorbikes are forced to go through a group of riders, they should do it very carefully and not recklessly. In my opinion, motorbike drivers don't take the safety of the riders in consideration seriously."