"First of all, he’s super pissed because these things happen" - Primoz Roglic on Tadej Pogacar's injuries
Cycling
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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- I think other competitors also had great Tours, so it wasn't that Ferrand-Prévot necessarily failed in some way - it's more likely that the other top riders lifted their game and maybe also a bit of luck with no crashes, etc. It's the Tour de France after all. It's not meant to be easy to defend your title (the few exceptions like Pogacar prove the rule).Pogboom01-11-2026
- maybe we should put our cv at the end of each comment post ... same rights for all of us!Ketterechts01-11-2026
- hahah literally all it is. Glad im not the only one noticing, essentially this is just a blog as it is now. Run buy boys from their bedroom hehe Their very subjective aswell, people on twitter even said their pure visma fanboys, if you listen to Ruben silva guy pre TDF this year all he said turned out to be wrong and constantly fail to realize visma isnt where they was before roster wice or means to contest even RBH or Lidl anymore, ,very biased ppl and when you run ''news articles that way its problematic..miguel01-11-2026
- The new joke of the year in 2027: "If both guys (Pogi and Seixas) finish upright on their bikes and both don't get sick for some reason, I think Paul will fight Tadej to the end and will possibly beat him in 2027 at the Tour, yes, I just said that." ... ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ...PogiSloFans01-11-2026
- Cutting his suit up and getting him to sign it while quite seriously injured is absolutely ghoulishwrsty01-11-2026
- 24 years old?Ketterechts01-11-2026
- Hey @frieder3, yeah sure, bull crap. What experience? You have no eyperience, you're an amateur cyclist... and to make things even worse, you're a lousy amateur cyclist. So what you're saying about your C7 has no relevance... do you even know where C7 is in your body? No, it's not in your knee!!! PS: Trump loves ya... 😍😍😍PogiSloFans01-11-2026
- He won't have a neck problem until he's older and arthritis kicks in lil guy !frieders301-11-2026
- Yep I find any way possible to not have other listen to Bob and VandeVelde commenting on a bike race. His annoying wrong predictions and irritating chuckle are mute worthy!frieders301-11-2026
- 20 winners for 3rd year in a row!Lozza31-10-2026
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