Tour de France boss Prudhomme compares Pogačar to 1969 Merckx after Vuelta crash: 'Are you still the same person?'
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Follow us on GoogleChristian Prudhomme asked publicly on Thursday the Tour de France question that many fans have been wondering. Speaking after the 2027 Tour route presentation in Paris, he questioned whether Tadej Pogačar will be the same again after his Vuelta a España crash. He also reached back into cycling history to make his point, again comparing Pogačar to Eddy Merckx.
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Prudhomme told L'Équipe that there are "certainly many questions lingering" following Pogačar's Vuelta crash, which left him out of racing for the rest of the year with a concussion, broken collarbone and a fractured vertebra.
Read more below the photo!
Pogačar crashed out of the 2026 Vuelta a España
Prudhomme: 'Are you still the same person?'
Prudhomme's concern is not only about Pogačar's legs. He pointed to the Slovenian's bike handling, the part of his game that makes him so dangerous on descents.
Because his talent lies not only in his physical superiority, but also in his riding skills. His descent of the Tourmalet last summer was mind-blowing and jaw-dropping. As you get older, after such a massive crash, are you still the same person? Do you take as many risks?- Christian Prudhomme to L'Équipe
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The Merckx parallel: never the same climber, four more Tours
To back up his point, Prudhomme drew on Merckx's crash at Blois in 1969;
"Eddy Merckx has always said that he was never the same again after his crash in Blois; he was undoubtedly scarred morally and mentally, but he also says he was never the same in the mountains afterwards. But that didn't stop him from winning four more Tours de France after that," he added.
Read more under the photo!
Eddy Merckx is considered the greatest cyclist of all time
Eddy Merckx crash in Blois, 1969
- When: a serious crash on the track in September 1969, which killed his derny pacer Fernand Wambst.
- Injuries: Merckx suffered a concussion, displaced pelvis, trapped nerves in his back, among other injuries.
- Merckx's own verdict: "Blois was the worst experience of my career. I could have been dead. The accident cost me a few years of my career, because afterwards, with that back, I never had the same feeling uphill as I had in that very first Tour of 1969."
- What came after: his Tour wins came in 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1974, so four of his five yellow jerseys came after Blois.
Tadej Pogacar is not (yet) planning to ride Paris Roubaix in 2026
Is Roubaix the real test of Pogačar's appetite for risk?
Earlier this week Pogačar admitted that staying away from racing is getting easier. He also gave no sign that a return to Paris Roubaix are is on his 2027 calendar. Perhaps the move of a man who is less comfortable with risk.
If anything is going to show how much risk Pogačar still accepts, it is Roubaix, the most crash-prone race he could put on his calendar. As ever with Pogačar, nothing is final yet.
When will Tadej Pogačar make his return to racing?
Pogačar has already shown he weighs the danger more carefully now. Explaining why he skipped the European Championships, he said "if I fell again, the consequences could be really serious and it wasn't worth the risk."
His preparation, though, points the other way. "I have now been training regularly for a week, which is a month earlier than in previous years."
The Slovenian will compete at the BeKing Criterium in his hometown of Monaco at the end of November, before a December training camp with his UAE team mates. After that, it is looking more and more likely that we'll see him line up at the Tour Down Under in January.
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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
- More time trials sounds good, but could Remco actually win the whole race? I thought the Tour was mostly about climbing.gearguru3323-10-2026
- If Pogačar crashed badly, does that mean he might not be fully fit for the Tour?julien23-10-2026
- Edinburgh for the Grand Départ is brilliant news. The crowds in Yorkshire were incredible, and Scotland could be just as special.pedalpowe2923-10-2026
- Froome’s point about the mountains is spot on: the extra TT distance gives the other GC contenders a real reason to race aggressively before the final climbs.tourdeforce923-10-2026
- 71km of time trialling should make things much more interesting. Remco will fancy his chances, but you can never write Pogačar off.lindae23-10-2026
- I’m still figuring out how time trials affect the overall race. If Evenepoel gains time there, will Pogačar have enough mountain stages left to make it back? The route sounds exciting, but I’m not sure how much difference 71km makes.davidm22-10-2026
- Two 223km stages in the opening week could make for a proper nervous start. Those narrow British roads and potholes might have the GC favourites watching every corner.jennifer1922-10-2026
- That Pau–Portet stage sounds absolutely savage: Tourmalet, Soulor, Hourquette d’Ancizan and then the Portet. Vingegaard should suit those long climbs, though Pogačar is hardly easy to shake.julien22-10-2026
- Seventy-one kilometres against the clock gives Evenepoel a real chance to put pressure on Pogačar, but those Pyrenean stages look brutal. Could be a cracking final week if the time gaps stay close.sprocketspiny22-10-2026
- Not sure we can call this a perfect Evenepoel route before we’ve seen the start list. Plenty of time-trialling, yes, but those Pyrenees stages look absolutely savage. Could be a great Tour, though.julien22-10-2026
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