“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.”
Tadej Pogacar reappears after his La Vuelta crash
Those observation days are now over. According to Ciro Scognamiglio of La Gazzetta dello Sport, Pogačar will leave Barcelona’s Hospital Dexeus on Wednesday, just two days after surgery, to return home and continue his recovery there.
The operation marks another step forward after a crash that forced the Slovenian to abandon a race in which he started as one of the leading favourites.
A crash that completely changed his Vuelta
Pogacar crashed 32 kilometres from the finish of La Vuelta’s eighth stage. The world champion struck a large roadside rock and went down at high speed.
Despite the severity of the impact, 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.
The Slovenian was also chasing a career set of victories in all three Grand Tours, having previously won the Tour de France and the Giro d’Italia.
Concussion and cervical fracture
Hospital tests later confirmed the extent of the injuries sustained in the crash. Pogačar was diagnosed with a concussion, a displaced fracture of the left clavicle, a stable cervical fracture at C7, and multiple abrasions.
UAE Team Emirates - XRG confirmed that no other serious injuries or neurological damage were detected.
The displaced collarbone fracture required surgery, but doctors chose to wait before proceeding. The initial priority was for Pogacar to clear the post-concussion protocol and receive safe clearance for the operation.
That moment finally arrived and the procedure was carried out successfully.
Pogacar now begins his recovery
With the operation completed and discharge scheduled for Wednesday, Pogacar now enters a new phase of his recovery away from the hospital.
The crash ended one of his key appearances of the season at La Vuelta and took the Slovenian out of a race where he had built a sizeable advantage over his main rivals.
UAE team principal Mauro Gianetti had already underlined the importance of the procedure when updating Pogacar’s condition on Sunday.
Now, with the collarbone surgery behind him and a return home imminent, the world champion can focus on healing from injuries sustained in a crash that completely altered the outcome of his Vuelta a España.