"After such a massive crash, are you still the same person?" - Tour de France director questions Tadej Pogacar's recovery from La Vuelta crash?
Cycling
Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme spoke about the race's headliners and main contenders after the 2027 route reveal, and discussed the potential scenario in which Tadej Pogacar might suffer from the injuries suffered at this summer's Vuelta a España.
The former World Champion crashed hard after hitting a rock during stage 8 of the Spanish Grand Tour, suffering a fractured vertebra, collarbone and a concussion. This kept him out of the World, European Championships and Il Lombardia - as well as the Vuelta which he was leading.
The discourse over social media was on whether the route suited Tadej Pogacar or the likes of Remco Evenepoel and Paul Seixas better. But a separate question is on Pogacar's recovery.
"The real question for me – and I obviously wish him all the best – is how well he’ll have recovered from his very, very, very serious crash in the Vuelta a España," Prudhomme said in words to L'Équipe.
"Because his talent lies not only in his physical superiority, but also in his riding skills. His descent of the Tourmalet last summer was mind-blowing and jaw-dropping. As you get older, after such a massive crash, are you still the same person? Do you take as many risks?"
Tadej Pogacar suffered several injuries after his La Vuelta crash
Eddy Merckx comparison
Pogacar's superiority in the Grand Tours has been absolute since the start of 2024, whereas the end of his era does not appear to be within sight.. Whether that will be within a few years - the Slovenian has a contract until 2032 - or earlier cannot be answered at the moment.
Prudhomme has left the door open for what may be the post-crash Pogacar, who has sustained the first major injury of his career since turning pro. "There are certainly questions lingering after his crash. Whether it has left its mark on him and what the consequences will be," he said.
"Eddy Merckx has always said that he was never the same again after his crash in Blois; he was undoubtedly scarred morally and mentally, but he also says he was never the same in the mountains afterwards," he gave as an example, "but that didn’t stop him from winning four more Tours de France after that".
Pogacar is reported to have begun training for the 2027 season whilst a return to racing in January has been speculated on for the past few weeks.
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A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
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- BenAflec, good one! LOL!MajorPayne22-10-2026
- Nearly! LOL!MajorPayne22-10-2026
- What the tdf have done here is make a very intriguing route, Pog by nature is more at home on the mountains, Remco TT's, Seixas an all-rounder.. RE, nearly got the better of Pog this yr & they've capitalised on that!
leedorney22-10-2026 - Hopefully any potholes on the British roads can be repaired so everyone arrives safely in France, and Pog, Jonas, Remco and Seixas can all be fighting it out in Paris.Hills3322-10-2026
- If Pogi is once again successful this year... next year we can expect 100 km or more of flat Time Trials ... and just one proper mountain stage, in the penultimate stage, the year after that. :)) :)) :))PogiSloFans22-10-2026
- EXTRA EXTRA - Read all about it !!! Plans for TDF 2028 and 2029 !!!! If Pogi is once again successful this year... next year we can expect 100 km or more of flat Time Trials ... and just one proper mountain stage, in the penultimate stage, the year after that. :)) :)) :))PogiSloFans22-10-2026
- If Pogi is healthy and in the same shape as he was this year, then we’re getting a 6 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐TDF winner... 100%. Let’s go Pogi! 💪👍 In their efforts to make the route as anti-Pogačar as possible, they ended up striking the biggest blow to the one rider who has managed to beat Pogi at the Tour twice!?!? The "poor" Danes are swearing and spitting at Christian Prudhomme: Hvad fanden laver du? ... Du er kraftedeme dum! Det er noget lort! ... Skrid ad helvede til! ... For helvede, mand! ... Jeg er pisseligeglad! PS: Ha ha ha ha ... ChatGPT told me these swear words.PogiSloFans22-10-2026
- Pogi will probably focus more on the time trials, as he’ll have to, and I don’t expect him to lose 3 seconds per kilometer. Maybe in the first time trial, if he has a really bad day, but certainly not across both combined. He might even win the second one, which is shorter, features a short climb, and takes place in the third week. I expect him to take the yellow jersey after Stage 10 and keep it until the end. He also has a tough World Championships and the Vuelta coming up after the Tour, so he’ll need to manage his energy wisely. If Pogi is healthy and in the same shape as he was this year, then we’re getting a 6 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐TDF winner... 100%. Let’s go Pogi! 💪👍PogiSloFans22-10-2026
- What if Seixas has an open road to 2nd, or Vingegaard... or both of them? Well then, Remco will just have to be 4th.PogiSloFans22-10-2026
- Said it in a different thread: I wish the races with gravel/off-road sections (Strade Bianchi, Paris-Tours, Tro Bro Léon, Veneto, In Flanders Field, and more) could be combined into a some kind of points series that could provide some kind of marketing to them all.RidesHills22-10-2026
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