Tadej Pogacar has undergone successful surgery on a collarbone fracture sustained in a nasty crash at the Vuelta a Espana, his team has confirmed.
The six-time grand tour winner had been leading the Vuelta by nearly four minutes from his closest challenger, Enric Mas, when he crashed on an innocuous, flat stretch of road on stage eight.
He sustained deep cuts to his left shoulder and the left side of his face and after initially attempting to remount his bike conceded that he could not continue, with his withdrawal marking the first time he has abandoned a race since Liege-Bastogne-Liege in 2023 and his first-ever abandon at a grand tour.
His UAE Team Emirates-XRG outfit later confirmed he had suffered a concussion, multiple abrasions, a displaced left clavicle fracture and a stable C7 cervical fracture. He was taken to hospital in Valencia before being transported to Barcelona, with surgery on the collarbone fracture initially delayed as a precaution due to his concussion.
UAE’s medical director Dr Adrian Rotunno said on social media on Monday that the surgery had been successfully completed.
He wrote: “This afternoon, Tadej underwent successful surgery on his left clavicle after receiving the all-clear to proceed with the operation. The procedure went well and he will remain in hospital for post-operative monitoring for a few days.
“When ready, Tadej will travel home to begin his recovery and rehabilitation under the supervision of the team’s medical staff. We will continue to monitor his progress closely throughout the recovery process.”
The team have not confirmed the cause of the crash, although footage appeared to show the Slovenian hitting a rock on the road and being unable to stop his fall after swerving. He was immediately attended to by medical staff before stepping into a waiting ambulance.
The injuries he sustained makes a defence of his world title – and chance of winning a third straight rainbow jersey – in Montreal at the end of this month highly unlikely, while he is also likely to miss out on a home European Championships, in which he is also the reigning champion, in Ljubljana in October.
