Tadej Pogačar has undergone surgery, but will remain in the hospital for a while longer: 'As soon as he is ready'

For years, Tadej Pogačar had managed to avoid a major crash with serious consequences, but fate struck during the Vuelta a España. A hard crash left the Slovenian rider from UAE Team Emirates-XRG with significant injuries. Ultimately, surgery was necessary, and the world champion has since undergone the procedure.

It was a terrible crash to watch. On a flat, straight, and wide road, and at a time when traffic was relatively light, Pogacar went flying over his handlebars. What happened? A rock on the side of the road was to blame. Just as the Slovenian took a sip from his water bottle, he hit a large boulder and went flying forward. He took a whole bunch of riders down with him.

Almost everyone was back on their feet quickly, but the rider in the red jersey was left behind, in pain. It took a long time for him to get back on his feet, but when he tried to grab his bike, it became immediately clear: he couldn’t go any further. He got into the ambulance with facial injuries and a sling. After an examination, it turned out that he had suffered a vertebral fracture and a broken collarbone.

In addition, Pogacar had also suffered a concussion. Mauro Gianetti, team manager of UAE Team Emirates-XRG, explained that this was the reason he did not undergo immediate surgery on his collarbone. Surgery was indeed necessary, given the nature of the fracture. The surgery was therefore scheduled for Tuesday or Wednesday.

But the five-time Tour winner has had a stroke of luck: he has already undergone surgery. Dr. Adrian Rotunno, his team’s medical director, announced this in a press release: “This afternoon, Tadej underwent successful surgery on his left clavicle after receiving the all-clear to proceed with the operation."

There’s not a word about a possible return for the superstar, though everyone on the team probably knows that 2026 is likely out of the question. The World Cycling Championships are in four weeks, and the European Championships (in his home country of Slovenia, no less) are in just over a month. Those dates don’t seem feasible for a miraculous return, even for Tadej Pogacar.