78 Crashes and Pogačar Sidelined. UAE Has One Huge Ambition After Season of Carnage

UAE Emirates-XRG endured 78 crashes and fractures to more than half its roster, including world No. 1 Tadej Pogačar, in a season of unprecedented carnage for cycling’s super team in 2026.

UAE’s response? Team boss Joxean Fernández “Matxin” wants an even stronger Pogačar and a clean sweep of cycling’s three grand tours.

Pogačar’s season-ending Vuelta a España crash was the biggest blow in an injury-ravaged campaign that still produced 78 victories from 20 riders despite a season filled with spills, injuries, and broken bones.

“This year we’ve had very bad luck with crashes. We’ve had 78 crashes. Eighteen of our 30 riders have suffered fractures,” Matxin told Eurosport. “I think all those circumstances have made us strong and pushed us to surpass ourselves.”

By Matxin’s count, those 78 wins came with 78 crashes, meaning that UAE’s season produced as many victories as wipeouts, with fractures affecting more than half its roster.

Despite the endless wave of crashes, the team still ended 2026 ranked No. 1 in the world and won more races than any squad in the WorldTour.

That’s well off its record haul of 97 wins in 2025, however, showing just how devastating crashes were across cycling’s richest team.

Even after the bruising season, Matxin is raising the bar for 2027 with the ambition of winning the Giro d’Italia, Tour de France, and Vuelta in the same season.

“What am I longing for right now? I won’t lie to you: what Visma achieved, winning the Giro, Tour and Vuelta in the same year,” he said.

That assumes a healthy Pogačar is back in 2027 and the team can avoid a repeat of the costly spills.

Things were worse behind the scenes than many realized.

UAE pumped brakes on Pogačar return

Matxin also revealed how UAE team doctor Adrian Rotunno pumped the brakes on Pogačar’s return to racing this fall.

The Slovenian initially hoped to return for the European championships after his devastating Vuelta crash.

Rotunno and the team’s medical staff were firm in advising that his racing season was over, and Matxin now credits them with making the right call.

“The medical team, led by Adrian Rotunno, was very firm in advising that his year was over,” Matxin told Eurosport.

“On the sporting side, you’re always thinking about whether he can make it back, whether he can win,” he said. “But the medical team’s clear-headed approach determined that the best thing was to end his season so we wouldn’t take any risks.”

Pogačar was champing at the bit to return to racing on the Euros on home roads in Slovenia just weeks after he crashed out of the Spanish grand tour, but later scans proved that ending his season and focusing on recovery was the prudent call.

“I think it was a wise decision and I have to thank them for it, because from my sporting perspective, you’re probably always looking at when he can return and be available,” Matxin said.

Matxin betting on an ‘even better’ Pogačar in 2027

Pogačar is now training on open roads and looks to be on track for a full recovery.

But Pogačar’s own account underlines how bad things were. The Slovenian revealed to The Athletic last week that further scans uncovered two additional fractured vertebrae after his August 29 Vuelta crash.

“When I saw I had three broken vertebrae? I’m just happy to be alive, actually, or just to be standing,” he told The Athletic.

Matxin now sees the forced stop only fueling King Pog’s ambitions for 2027.

“I have no doubt that Pogačar will be better than last year,” Matxin said.

There is some speculation that Pogačar could be a different rider after the high-speed Vuelta crash, but Matxin said he doesn’t expect him to lose any of his winning edge in the aftermath of the Slovenian’s first major injury.

“When you go through difficult moments and suffer, you savor the good moments more and make more of them,” he said. “I think you have to take something positive from everything in life, and in the bad moments you have to know that you’re going to come back stronger, with that little bit of anger that helps you improve.”

Matxin also brushed aside the idea of focusing solely on breakout French star Paul Seixas as Pogačar’s biggest Tour threat.

“You can’t rule out Remco. You can’t rule out Jonas. And obviously you can’t rule out Paul Seixas, because he has made such a brilliant breakthrough,” he said.

As for suggestions of an “anti-Pogačar” Tour route, Matxin understands why organizers want to keep the fight for yellow alive.

“What the organizers are looking for, and I understand them here, is to make sure the Tour isn’t decided by the fourth stage,” he said. “I understand that perspective.”

Matxin didn’t reveal any firm calendars yet for 2027, but if the grand tour sweep is on the radar, that would suggest that Isaac del Toro could head to the Giro d’Italia while Pogačar might repeat the Tour-Vuelta double.

There’s also talk that he might skip Paris-Roubaix, and emphasis on knocking off a record sixth yellow jersey and a first Vuelta to complete the grand tour sweep.

Those details will be sorted in the coming weeks at the team’s winter camps in Spain in December.