"First of all, he’s super pissed because these things happen" - Primoz Roglic on Tadej Pogacar's injuries
CyclingTuesday, 01 September 2026 at 10:10
Primoz Roglic knows that feeling all too well. The Slovenian has had to deal with the aftermath of crashes several times and understands how hard it is to accept that a race you’ve prepared for over months ends in the most unexpected way. That’s why, after Tadej Pogacar’s withdrawal from the Vuelta a España, Roglic wanted to put himself in his compatriot’s shoes.
Pogacar had to abandon the race last Saturday after a heavy crash on stage eight, when he was leading the general classification. The Slovenian suffered a concussion, a displaced fracture of the left collarbone, a stable cervical fracture at C7, and multiple abrasions.
Asked about what Pogacar may be going through now, Roglic acknowledged that the blow must be especially tough for someone who, until now, hadn’t experienced anything similar in a Grand Tour.
A big shock for Pogacar
“For him, it’s undoubtedly quite a big shock. On the one hand, yes, he’s lucky this has happened to him for the first time now. It’s something new for him, he’s in a new situation,” explained the Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe rider to TNT Sports.
Roglic also underlined the frustration Pogacar must feel after a crash that struck while he was dominating La Vuelta and heading towards one of his major goals of the season. “First of all, he’s super pissed because these things happen,” Roglic said.
Primoz Roglic at the Vuelta a España
However, the four-time Vuelta winner believes Pogacar has the mindset to overcome this setback and come back stronger. The Slovenian, currently fighting for overall victory in the race, has no doubts about his compatriot’s future. “And second, there’s no doubt he’ll come back even stronger,” he stated.
For Roglic, the process now is about accepting what happened and patiently facing the recovery period ahead. “First you have to accept it, and then just deal with the new challenges that appear along the way,” he concluded.
Pogacar has already undergone surgery
Roglic’s message arrives as Pogacar has already begun his recovery. The UAE Team Emirates-XRG leader underwent successful surgery on his left collarbone and will remain in hospital for a few days to monitor his postoperative progress.
The team has not yet set a timeline for his return to competition. Pogacar still has targets on the horizon such as the Montreal Worlds and Il Lombardia but his presence will depend on how he evolves over the coming weeks.
For now, the absolute priority is to fully recover from the injuries sustained at La Vuelta. Whether he returns in 2026 or delays his comeback to racing until 2027 remains an open question.
Juan LarraCycling Journalist
Juan Larra is a writer for Cyclinguptodate and editor-in-chief of Ciclismoaldia, where he has played a central role since its inception. Under his leadership, the website has become a trusted source for professional cycling coverage, offering in-depth analysis, news, and feature stories.
A sports journalist with over 20 years of experience, Juan earned his degree in Journalism from the University of Seville in 2007. He began his career covering a wide range of sports—including football, basketball, Formula 1, MotoGP, tennis, and cycling—for platforms such as the official La Liga app, Vodafone and Movistar websites, NBA Blogdebasket, and Cadena Cope, honing his skills in writing and editorial management.
In addition to his work at Ciclismoaldia, Juan contributes to Cyclinguptodate and serves as editor-in-chief for the tennis-focused site Tenisaldia. Throughout his career, he has conducted exclusive interviews with cyclists and sports figures, provided detailed analysis of competitions ranging from local Spanish races to major international events, and acted as a special correspondent at prestigious races including Paris-Roubaix, the Tour de France, and the Vuelta a España.
Juan’s combination of experience, expertise, and direct access to athletes has established him—and the platforms he leads—as authoritative voices in professional cycling.
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- Agreed, it is amazing what science and medical technology can do these days.
Andrew01-09-2026 - Lantern Rouge spoke about one of the riders trying to signal but they were right against the edge and going too fast.Andrew01-09-2026
- Your synopsis is a hell off a stretch Stef! As that old saying goes. Better to Remain Silent and Be Thought a Fool than to Speak and Remove All DoubtCyclingsbestfan01-09-2026
- I think Pogi should not return this year, he's done enough. But if he was to return, he should only do the last race this season, and that is the fifth Monument- Il Lombardia, on Saturday, October 10, 2026. If he would win it, he would be the first cyclist in history to win four Monuments in the same year, while being second in one (Paris-Roubaix). Now I'm not saying that's a smart thing to do, but you never know with these sports "super-humans" like Pogi or Marquez... and todays science in medical technology. What ever the decision will be, I hope it's for the good of Pogi, because things can also go very bad and ugly if the wrong decision is made.PogiSloFans01-09-2026
- I agree, but if he was to return, he should only do the last race this season, and that is the fifth Monument- Il Lombardia, on Saturday, October 10, 2026. If he would win it, he would be the first cyclist in history to win four Monuments in the same year, while being second in one (Paris-Roubaix). Now I'm not saying that's a smart thing to do, but you never know with these sports "super-humans" like Pogi or Marquez... and todays science in medical technology. What ever the decision will be, I hope it's for the good of Pogi, because things can also go very wrong if not done properly.PogiSloFans01-09-2026
- Stef Clement is an analyst, with the BS he said, really? Does he know that crashes are on numerous occasions inevitable and unavoidable? No he doesn't. If he did, he wouldn't be spitting "#$%&/()=* nonsense around. PS: Did Jonas, Van Aert, Remco, Roglič...etc etc. crash so many times because they knew they were the best and became careless? Answer this one Clement, but don't insult my intelligence.PogiSloFans01-09-2026
- Just stop the BS.PogiSloFans01-09-2026
- Yeah, he was "due" a proper DNF hospitalising crash purely on the law of averages like you say. That many race days and near-misses without one is more unusual than actually hitting the dirt.wrsty01-09-2026
- Pog's incredible bike handling skills have saved him a number of times in the past when lesser riders would certainly have crashed. For example, Stage 2 of the 2022 Tour, Stage 5 of the 2024 Tour, Stage 16 (ITT) of this year's Tour and most recently, Stage 6 of this Vuelta. This time, however, he had practically no reaction time to take avoiding action, with the peloton so bunched up and Pog not able to clearly see the road ahead. Was it due to overconfidence? Of course not. He was having a drink from his bidon at the time, but he has done it millions of times in similar situations before. On such a hot day, you are not going to wait for the peloton to string out before taking a drink. Basically, it was a freak accident, which no one could have anticipated. Finally, the law of averages caught up with him and his luck ran out.Cooldude01-09-2026
- It's really sad that the first Spanish rider to lead the race in 8 years, winning a stage in Red - and he couldn't even get a photo on the front page of this site yesterday - instead it's wall-to-wall hot takes and circular discussions about this crash. I'm waiting for all this home-sleuthing and whatnot to turn accusatory and blame-laying, as someone has to pay for this perfect narrative being derailed. And you know somewhere, there's a design for the GT triple special edition UAE kit being quietly deleted/destroyed. Meanwhile, Enric Mas having the ride of his life, the GC fight completely wide open - but nah, let's fill the space with podcast hot-takes. So disrespectful.wrsty01-09-2026
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