Bardet started the journey to Albacete in 14th overall, just a minute and 16 seconds behind then-leader Rein Taaramäe (Intermarche-Wanty-Gobert) and looking to move further towards top spot as the riders drew closer to the finish.
But with 11 kilometres to go, the Frenchman became one of the casualties in a huge crash caused by a touching of wheels at the front of the peloton and remained down on the side of the road as the rest of those involved got back on their bikes and rejoined the race.
Bardet managed to eventually remount and finish the stage but the damage had already been done, with his jersey and general classification aspirations in tatters as he crossed the line 12 minutes and 32 seconds down on the other favourites, plummeting to 93rd overall at 13 minutes and 23 seconds behind new leader Kenny Elissonde (Trek-Segafredo).
Team DSM director Matt Winston was optimistic on Bardet's condition after the stage, given he had managed to cross the line and avoid any head injuries from the pile-up.
“He actually avoided the original crash and just got through on the right-hand side and then he was just hit from behind which then took him into the side of the road,” Winston said of the incident.
“He was in pain on the way to the line so our doctors will assess him tonight but he was safe to get the finish, that was the main thing for us.
“We checked him properly after the crash. We made sure he wasn’t concussed or anything like that and that he could make it to the finish in a good and safe way, but we’ll keep assessing him through the evening.”
Winston added that he expected Bardet to continue in the race and possibly later focus on stage wins, but admitted the full extent of his injuries were not yet known to the medical staff.
“Obviously we don’t know the extent of the injury yet," he said.
"He just crashed so he is in some pain and he’s taken an impact on the knee. Our medical team will assess him through the evening and we’ll see where we go from there.
“We’ve seen he’s had a few setbacks through his career, but he’s always bounced back in a good way. We’re confident that when he’s in good shape again, we can look for stage successes in week two and week three.”
It wasn't all bad news for DSM, as sprinter Alberto Dainese managed a third-place finish on the stage behind winner Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Fenix).
“That's his first top three in a Grand Tour, so that’s maybe a stepping stone and a bit of a silver lining," Winston said of Dainese's effort
La Vuelta continues with a 158.3 kilometre stage from Requena to an uphill finish on Alto de la Montaña de Cullera that looks perfect for breakaway hopefuls. Watch the action live from 11pm (AEST) on SBS VICELAND and SBS On Demand and 10:50pm (AEST) on the SBS ŠKODA Tour Tracker.
