Update: Tadej Pogačar Undergoes Successful Surgery after Violent Vuelta Crash

Update: Tadej Pogačar underwent successful surgery on his clavicle, UAE Emirates-XRG medical director Dr. Adrian Rotunno said in a statement on Monday.

“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.”

Tadej Pogačar is in a holding pattern in the early stages of his recovery from the devastating high-speed crash that ended his Vuelta a España, but his team isn’t crossing out his 2026 season altogether.

UAE Emirates-XRG general manager Mauro Gianetti revealed Sunday that Pogačar can’t undergo surgery to stabilize his fractured collarbone until at least Tuesday.

Speaking to RMC Radio, Gianetti said Pogačar sustained “a quite heavy concussion” when he fell hard in a shocking crash on stage 8 of the Vuelta on Saturday,

Typical concussion protocol dictates that athletes clear neurological checks before they can be put under anesthetic.

“If all goes well, Tadej can have surgery on his collarbone on Tuesday,” Gianetti told RMC. “Because the fracture is displaced, it’s a fairly significant operation.

‘It will be possible either Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on his recovery from the concussion,” Gianetti said.

Pogačar DNFd a grand tour for the first time in his career Saturday when he left the Vuelta a España in an ambulance.

Broadcast footage of the seemingly invincible supercyclist bloodied and battered shocked the cycling world. The crash – which was thought to have occurred at more than 60kph – left Pogačar with a fractured collarbone, C7 vertebra, and a concussion.

Pogačar ‘doing well’ while waiting on surgery

Despite all that, Pogačar put a brave face on it when he issued his first public update on Instagram on Sunday.

“Stayin’ Alive,” as he defiantly suggested.

Gianetti told RMC the 27-year-old remains upbeat while he waits in limbo at a hospital in Barcelona.

“Tadej is doing well given the situation he is in,” Gianetti said Sunday night. “To abandon the Vuelta at a time when you don’t expect it is a violent shock.

“He suffered a pretty significant concussion, but today [i.e., Sunday] he’s doing well. He is in good spirits,” Gianetti said. “Tadej says it could have been worse.”

Team refuses to cancel Pogačar’s calendar

Gianetti’s update to RMC comes as the cycling world wonders what’s next for the greatest rider of the current era, if not ever.

After Pogačar won a record-equaling fifth Tour de France in July, the Vuelta was the next tasty morsel on the modern cannibal’s plate.

The world championship road race – and the chance to follow Peter Sagan with a rainbow jersey three-peat – was next on the menu.

The Montréal champs on September 26 was scheduled as the first of a heavyweight trio of one-day races to close Pogačar’s already blockbuster season. The European championships and Il Lombardia completed the trifecta.

Speaking Sunday, Gianetti refused to rule out Pogačar returning to racing as soon as the Canadian worlds, less than four weeks from now. Pogačar’s agent Alex Carera said similar when he spoke to AS on Sunday.

“It’s still quite early to say,” Gianetti said when RMC asked about Pogačar’s planned races. “We tried to avoid discussing it today because it’s not the right time to make decisions.

“First, we need to see how he recovers and how the surgery goes this Tuesday or Wednesday,” Gianetti said. “From there, we’ll have a clearer picture of whether he has time to return for the end of the season or not.

“We can approach this with a bit more calm when Tadej has at least recovered from the concussion,” he added. “It’s not the time to make decisions based on emotions. We’ll have to wait a few days.”

The clock is ticking on road worlds

Pogačar and UAE Emirates-XRG have to wait. However, time is not on their side.

The clock is ticking on road worlds.

The men’s road race rolls out 27 days from now.

“The timeframe is very short. He’s still in the hospital; he hasn’t had surgery yet,” Gianetti said. “Of course, it doesn’t seem easy to recover in time for the world championships. We’ll see how things progress in the coming days.

“The clavicle fracture is quite serious. It requires a fairly major operation, and that doesn’t help.”

Racing can wait for 27-year-old Pogačar. A full recovery must come first.