Tadej Pogacar surgery on "Tuesday or Wednesday" - Complications with severe concussion as Mauro Gianetti refuses to offer comeback timeline
CyclingMonday, 31 August 2026 at 11:57
Tadej Pogacar will undergo surgery for his broken collarbone on either Tuesday or Wednesday, with UAE Team Emirates boss Mauro Gianetti confirming that the effects of a "severe concussion" complicating his intial timeline to go under the knife.
Pogacar crashed out of the 2026 Vuelta a Espana at 66 kilometers per hour, hitting a stone and then falling to the ground in a race-ending instant that saw him break his collarbone, C7 vertebrae, suffer multiple facial, hands and body lacerations as well as pick up a concussion.
With the abandonment goes his lead of La Vuelta and potentially the rest of his season goals, which included the World Championships, a home European Championships in Slovenia as well as Il Lombardia. Speculation has risen over whether he will be able to return this side of the off-season in time for any of those goals.
Offering the first major inisght into Pogacar's days since Saturday's crash, Gianetti indicated that Pogacar is in a good mental space. But with the fracture of his clavicle shifting slightly and a concussion involved, he has not yet underwent surgery.
Concussion complicates surgery timeline
The main reason for that is a concussion, with an operation involving anaesthesia, it would affect the nervous system and thus potentially cause the cocnussion to heal slower as a result, meaning that the medical advice was to delay the surgery.
“Given the circumstances, Tadej is doing well,” Gianetti told RMC Sport on Sunday evening.
“The shock was severe, but today his mood is fine. Despite everything. If all goes well, he will go under the knife on Tuesday or Wednesday. It will be a fairly major operation, because the fracture has shifted.”
Tadej Pogacar reaparece tras su caída en La Vuelta
Pogacar's next few weeks and months
Pogacar is at Hospital Universitari Dexeus in Barcelona and will be operated on by the renowned traumatologist Dr. Xavier Mir, who has notably worked with motor GP riders after crashes.
Looking ahead, Gianetti refused to speculate on what's next for Pogacar as he insisted that only results of surgery would define his route back to racing, and not an emotional motivation.
“It is still far too early to say anything useful about that. We are not discussing it within the team, because this is not the time to make a decision. First, we have to wait for the final test results for the concussion and see how the surgery on Tuesday or Wednesday goes.
"After that, we will have a clearer picture and can assess whether he can still return this season. We are going to handle this calmly and not make choices based on emotion.”
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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- It would be a powerfull team if he did sign up with Ineos. Onley's future is looking good. Carapaz and Onley would make a great climbing double act. Would it be enough though to topple Pogacar the GT king?Cyclingsbestfan31-08-2026
- Good onTom MVDP needs more time on MB to get up to his level on cyclo cross. Such a pity all the hype about VDP losing rather than Tom winning ans thrashing the fieldpaultryan200231-08-2026
- Getting your finger to click on the link is the point. Just like me you were drawn to the headline. It's more commonly called clickbait. I'm surprised you have to ask, as you do similar with all that faff about Pogicar that you post.Cyclingsbestfan31-08-2026
- You've lost me there? You would need to explain your thinking on that comment.Cyclingsbestfan31-08-2026
- Maybe if fans would crowdfund Alpacin’s losses that might happen. The Tour is the reason cycling exists commercially at all and riders no longer have to work for peanuts.Mistermaumau31-08-2026
- Yeah but you can’t suppose there was NOBODY who saw anything. Someone didn’t do what any leading rider should. Not saying there needs to be blame but the lack of focus was more likely elsewhere.Mistermaumau31-08-2026
- It doesn’t even pay the paper it’s sent on.Mistermaumau31-08-2026
- I suspect nothing has actually changed to the previous truth, just adding froth?Mistermaumau31-08-2026
- We don’t know he’d have avoided injury even with two hands on deck or whether it might have been avoided or worse but the take is very badly developed. Of 10 riders close up to others riding ahead of them, half will be focused on debris one side and half on the other, that’s a matter of luck. Some will see and signal, some won’t see or can’t/won’t signal, that part makes you dependent on others so also mostly luck. The only part not down to luck is deciding to drink at a moment when you’re not able to take corrective action in case of emergency (for which you should always be prepared). For me, the most interesting question therefore is why he chose to drink at such a moment. Other than that, it’d be interesting to hear from all the riders ahead regarding who saw what or who was signalling or even tried but couldn’t without creating risk, if anyone. Some were maybe lucky it wasn’t them, it’s not because you didn’t hit it that you saw and avoided, others are maybe partly responsible because they saw it but didn’t signal. The primary reason is definitely not lack of focus at that moment because with one hand off and drinking (for which you usually turn your head/eyes upwards away from the road) there is nothing you can focus on properly.Mistermaumau31-08-2026
- Agreed. Would genuinely love to see this, MVDP back to his best MTB’ing and facing off against Pidcock.anonymouscyclist31-08-2026
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