UAE's Gianetti provides update on Pogačar: 'Quite major surgery' needed after fracture displacement

Tadej Pogačar was forced to withdraw from the Vuelta a España on Saturday due to a hard crash. We now know that, despite a grim prognosis, the Slovenian is doing well under the circumstances. UAE team manager Mauro Gianetti provided a new update on Monday morning.

"Boom, knocked off," is how Stef Clement described Pogačar's crash on Saturday. The red jersey wearer went flying over his handlebars after his front wheel hit a rock. He tried to keep going for a moment, but his injuries were too severe. His red dream was over, but is his season over too? That remains to be seen.

Let’s start with now. “Given the circumstances, Tadej is doing well. The shock was intense, but today he’s in good spirits. Despite everything," team manager Gianetti told HLN. After his crash, Pogi posted a photo of himself smiling on social media, with the song 'Stayin' Alive' captioned underneath.

The fact that he’s doing so well is largely due to the Slovenian’s character. According to his team manager, Pogacar suffered a “pretty severe concussion.” “That’s why the world champion didn’t undergo immediate surgery for his broken collarbone,” the Belgian media outlet reported.

So when will it happen? “If all goes well, he’ll go under the knife on Tuesday or Wednesday,” Gianetti reports. And it won’t be just any ordinary surgery. “It will be a fairly extensive procedure, because the fracture has shifted,” the team manager explains. Dr. Xavier Mir, a well-known orthopedic surgeon, will perform the surgery.

The big question, of course, is: Will we see Pogacar in action again this calendar year? Gianetti doesn't really want to speculate on that just yet. “It’s still far too early to say anything meaningful about that. We’re not discussing it within the team, because now is not the time to make a decision.”

Because, as the team manager knows: “First, we have to wait for the final concussion test and see how the surgery on Tuesday or Wednesday goes. After that, we’ll have a clearer picture and can assess whether he’ll be able to return this season. We’re going to take our time with this and not make any decisions based on emotion,” Gianetti concludes.