Tadej Pogačar will end his season prematurely after undergoing surgery on a fractured collarbone sustained in a crash at the Vuelta a España 2026, he said Saturday, with the injury ruling him out of this month's UCI Road World Championships (Sept. 20-27).
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"Of course, this isn't the way I wanted my season to finish," Pogačar said in a UAE Team Emirates-XRG statement. "Right now, the most important thing is to recover properly and give my body the time it needs."
The five-time Tour de France champion crashed out of the Vuelta during Stage 8 and was taken to hospital after a heavy fall. He also suffered a concussion and cervical fracture, along with multiple cuts and bruises.
Pogačar had been leading by a massive 3 minutes, 50 seconds a week into the 21-day race and was the overwhelming favorite for victory in his bid to complete a career clean sweep of the three Grand Tours.
In July, Pogačar joined an elite club of five-time Tour de France winners with Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain.
The 27-year-old was bidding to become only the fourth rider to complete a Tour-Vuelta double in the same season.
"It has been a season with many special moments, and I'm proud of what we achieved together," Pogačar said. "Now, I'll focus on getting healthy, supporting the guys from home and coming back next year ready for what's ahead."
The Slovenian star had planned to target a record-equaling third world road race title in Montreal later this month, before eyeing a sixth straight Giro di Lombardia victory in October.
"Following his crash, there is absolutely no pressure for Tadej to return to racing this year.," said UAE Emirates team principal Mauro Gianetti. "His health and recovery are the priority."
Medical director Adrian Rotunno said Pogačar was recovering well, but there was no benefit in rushing his return to racing.
"Tadej is progressing well following surgery, and we are very satisfied with his recovery to this point," he said. "However, given the combination of his injuries... we have taken the decision, together with Tadej, that he will not return to competition this season."
The team also announced that Pogačar had signed a contract extension through to the end of the 2032 season.
"From the beginning, this team has felt like home for me," Pogačar said. "We have grown together over the years and shared some incredible moments, so I'm very happy to extend my contract until 2032. There is still a lot I want to achieve in this sport, and I believe this is the right place to do it."
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