Tadej Pogačar had to sign parts of his cut up skinsuit after Vuelta a España crash: 'I was kind of out of it'
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Follow us on GoogleTadej Pogačar has worn plenty of famous skinsuits, and some of them have had strange second lives. In his first big interview since crashing out of the Vuelta a España, the Slovenian told The Athletic what happened to the race leader's suit he was wearing that day. It certainly didn't end up in a museum or at an auction.
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Pogačar crashed out on stage 8 on August 29 while he was leading the race. His memory of the ambulance ride is patchy, but he remembers what happened once he reached the hospital.
"There's not much I recollect from the ambulance, but I remember going to a nearby hospital, and that was quite the experience," he told the New York Times. "I wasn’t a pleasant person to be around"
Read more below the photo!
Tadej Pogačar in the Vuelta a España.
Pogačar: 'Signing autographs for the doctors and nurses'
Before any of the photos and autographs, there was a less glamorous moment. "And then they left me behind the curtains for five minutes and I had to pee in the bed, which was quite an experience," Pogačar recalled.
Then the requests started. "I was just laying there and signing autographs for the doctors and nurses, taking some photos," he told The Athletic.
It got even stranger after that. Rather than simply peeling the skinsuit off the injured rider, staff cut it open and turned the scraps into souvenirs.
I was kind of out of it, and they were cutting my skin suit from the back, taking small pieces of the jersey, and asking if I could sign these parts of the skin suit. So my skin suit now has a lot of holes cut into it which I gave to the staff.- Tadej Pogačar to The Athletic
From a €95,100 record to a suit full of holes
The Vuelta suit makes an odd contrast with his most famous piece of damaged kit.
Back in March, Pogačar crashed before the Cipressa at Milan-San Remo, rejoined the race in a torn rainbow skinsuit and beat Tom Pidcock in the sprint on the Via Roma.
He signed that suit, his teammates signed it too, and it went up for auction. It sold for 95,100 euros, the highest price ever paid for a cycling jersey. Pogačar doubled the amount for his foundation.
American buyer bought Pogačar's skinsuit
The buyer was American CEO Karl McDonell, who told Domestique he had almost forgotten placing his bid. "It's just as it was that day… it's got the numbers still pinned on the back, it's got all the dirt, it's ripped open, his teammates all signed it," he said.
The skinsuit from the Vuelta took a very different path. No collector will be framing it whole. Instead, small signed pieces of it are now scattered among the people who treated him in Spain.
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David Bavin-HobbsChief Editor
David has been working in the sports & cycling industry for 16 years. Covering racing, business and technology, he has worked in communications for cycling companies, teams, and as a journalist. His proudest achievement is winning the first bike race he ever entered. He hasn't won a race since.
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Latest Comments
- I’m still learning the calendar: is cyclocross mainly preparation for the spring classics, or does he race it as a separate goal as well? I’d love to see him back in the mud.jeremya04-11-2026
- The article makes it sound as if Roubaix is the only classic where he has a realistic shot. He’s been close in Flanders too, and one good tactical day can change everything.jennifer1904-11-2026
- Milan-Sanremo and Roubaix is a pretty special pair of Monuments. Any clues yet on which cyclocross races he’ll target?andrewf04-11-2026
- He’s right to be realistic about Flanders with Pogačar and Evenepoel around, but you can’t count Van Aert out on those roads. If he gets the right opportunity, he has the engine and experience to take it.davidm04-11-2026
- That Roubaix win felt like such a release after all the near-misses. Brilliant to hear that joy outweighed relief for Wout.patriciaw04-11-2026
- Why would a mountain time trial be different from a normal one? Is it just that the riders have to climb the whole course?samanthak03-11-2026
- I don’t quite buy the “fear of failure” argument. Riders can race the Giro and still have confidence in July; it comes down to recovery and planning, doesn’t it?patriciaw03-11-2026
- The Giro-Tour double is a massive ask, even for the very best. Pogačar made it look almost routine in 2024, but that’s hardly a sensible benchmark for everyone else!pedalpowe2903-11-2026
- Bakelants makes a fair point: if the 2027 Tour really suits Remco, he can’t afford to dilute the build-up. That 37km flat TT will be tempting, mind.julien03-11-2026
- Mont Blanc sounds like a spectacular finish, though four climbs on the final day might be a bit much after eight hard stages. Hope the route details are clear soon.raceready703-11-2026
