First picture of Tadej Pogacar after he's released from hospital - UAE rider in sling and bandages as he returns home
Cycling
A defiant Tadej Pogacar shared a first photo of him after he left hospital. Following his crash at the 2026 Vuelta a Espana, and subsequent surgery on Tuesday to repair his left collarbone, the Slovenian will continue his recovery at home.
His Vuelta red jersey journey came to an abrupt end on Saturday after an unexpected crash while riding in the bunch, hitting a stone on the road and losing balance as he hit the ground hard and left the race in an ambulance.
A broken collarbone, fractured C7 vertebrae and concussion was diagnosed as the dust settled, throwing his late-season plans into doubt and meaning he would have to undergo surgery. However, the operation was a success and he's officially on the mend.
Sharing a photo to Instagram, Pogacar is seen posing for a photo with a friend as he sports a sling, as well as bandages on his face, shoulder and knee as a result of the high-speed crash.
Tadej Pogacar in action on Stage 7 of the 2026 Vuelta a Espana
UAE medical update on Pogacar
The UAE team’s medical director, Dr Adrian Rotunno, confirmed the operation on his collarbone fracture was completed without complications.
“This afternoon, Tadej successfully underwent surgery on his left clavicle after receiving clearance to proceed,” Rotunno explained. The medical lead added that “the procedure went smoothly and he will remain in hospital for a few days for postoperative monitoring.”
Despite the severity of the impact, in the moments after the crash, the UAE Team Emirates XRG rider initially tried to continue. However, the consequences of the crash ultimately forced him to abandon.
The incident ended a Vuelta campaign in which Pogacar had already taken three stage wins and led the general classification by 3 minutes 50 seconds over Enric Mas.
Will Pogacar return to racing in 2026?
It's unclear when the world champion will return to racing and if he will defend his rainbow bands. With the Montreal road race set for September 27th, it gives him just over three weeks to recover and then re-find his best legs.
With a narrow window to do so, his team have remained tight-lipped on his planned return date, with speculation that he could also target a return at the European Championships, which take place in his home country of Slovenia, or at Il Lombardia - the final monument of the year.
However, UAE have confirmed that the recovery will be rider-focused, signalling that it also could be the end of his season if things don't accelerate in a straightforward fashion.
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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- yeah... you're right...PogiSloFans04-11-2026
- Podcast sounds great. Two so called experts stating the f*cking obvious.wrsty04-11-2026
- A mindset that reminds me of Tim Declerq. I loved watching that guy just pound away the kilometers, hours at the front, holding an entire breakaway in check on his own. Bjerg seems like a similar guy. Curling, the team sport.RidesHills04-11-2026
- He will be lol, but he can still win on the climbs hahaawp04-11-2026
- I would love to have his inconsistency. How many wins this year? 2 TdF stages, a WC, a Euro championship, San Sebastian, multiple wins early year. Monument podiums. I'd take it. I don't think he has a chance in the TdF, but he is still amazing.mij04-11-2026
- He's not going to win the TdF. Maybe if they make every single stage a TT he could win. But I still believe Tadej would just sharpen his TT skills and win.mij04-11-2026
- You beat me to it. Should he make a full recovery (likely) and go light early in the year. One, two, three. Don't ask me, I don't give a damn. Should he be on a Feel-Like-He's-Fixin'-to-Die High.Yepperoni04-11-2026
- The deciding factor may be the (TBD) number of (any type of) kilometers without Pogacar.Yepperoni04-11-2026
- Unexplained chronic fatigue is an all too common bitch. The hard to find definitive answer may lie buried in gut mechanisms. A mystery of the deep.Yepperoni04-11-2026
- It's weird to say Evenepoel would be making a "serious mistake by adding the 2027 Giro d'Italia to his calendar, warning that such a decision could even be interpreted as a lack of confidence in his ability to win the Tour de France." It may well be a mistake but with so many commentators (of all sorts) continuously claiming almost everything Remco does as being a mistake, almost nobody should care what the pundits and the disparagers should say. His team may not want him to do the Giro, and that matters. But it's possibly or probably up to Remco to decide and it may not have to be decided on until a month or so ahead of the race. Yes , Remco is inconsistent much like the majority of the best riders but he's enjoying a period of not having been recently injured (or sick). Whatever he does he need not be concerned with critics who will second guess any perceived failure no matter what. I suspect he will have enough other races on his schedule so he won't be considering it. But the worst reason to not race it is because of what some will say - humorous that be.Yepperoni04-11-2026
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