Wellens explains why Pogacar's crash will hurt most during the climbing time trial: "His body needs time to recover"

Pogacar crashed after being cut off by Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility), who was trying to respond to a breakaway. Fortunately, his opponents decided to wait for him, but the number two in the GC was obviously not happy. “He didn't look very happy, no,” Tim Wellens confirmed to Het Laatste Nieuws. “He was swearing and feeling frustrated. That's understandable. Crashing is never fun. But hey, all in all, the damage isn't too bad, just a few abrasions.”

The crash on the asphalt must have hurt, but the defending champion suffered no serious injuries. He narrowly missed hitting the curb. “Apparently, he managed to avoid colliding with the curb. So it could have been worse,” said the Belgian champion. Afterwards, Johannessen apologized, and in turn received words of comfort from Pogacar after the threats directed at him.

Even though the crash was actually a best case scenario, Wellens knows that it was ‘not ideal’. How will his leader feel in the coming days? “I fear he will sleep less well. His body will need time to heal the wounds. And then there is the immediate impact, of course. Stiffness and soreness. Not so much the day after, but mainly two days later, in my personal experience.‘

Gianetti, sports director of UAE Team Emirates - XRG, naturally panicked for a moment. "We were all a little worried and concerned. You never know what will happen with such an unfortunate crash at such a high speed. But then he got back on his feet fairly quickly and inspected his bike, which in itself was a relief. He hadn't lost that much time. Narvaez and Yates quickly brought him back into the group."

The timing of the crash couldn't have been much worse: not only did it happen in the final, but the next three days will be extremely tough. The ride to Hautacam could be decisive. “But that's part of the sport,” the Italian knows. “We have to deal with the consequences. Get on with it. And start Thursday in good spirits.” Pogacar arrived at the start with his left arm wrapped up. After the mountain stage in stage 12, two more grueling stages will follow, including the time trial to Peyragudes.