"Tadej Pogacar told me: 'Tim, we have a problem'" – Tim Wellens reveals emergency hospital trip for UAE leader during 2025 Tour de France
Cycling
Tim Wellens has lifted the lid on just how close Tadej Pogacar came to abandoning the 2025 Tour de France — revealing the world champion required an emergency hospital scan mid-race due to a serious knee scare.
The Slovenian went on to ride into Paris in yellow for a fourth time, but the Belgian has now made clear how precarious the situation was during the second week.
During the stage to Valence, Wellens recalled Pogacar suddenly sounding the alarm. “During the stage towards Valence he told me: ‘Tim, we have a problem, my knee is hurting a lot’,” Wellens told L’Equipe. “He was in so much pain that he got out of the car to be examined by the doctor.”
With concerns mounting inside UAE Team Emirates - XRG’s car, the team wasted no time in seeking answers. “After the stage, he went to hospital for scans,” Wellens continued. “They found inflammation or something like that, but nobody knew what it was. He was genuinely suffering and we were not sure he would make it to the finish. We even thought he might have to abandon.”
Why Pogacar stopped attacking – and how UAE kept calm
Pogacar’s relatively defensive racing in the middle portion of the Tour raised eyebrows at the time, but Wellens says there was a very real physical battle happening behind the scenes.
“You could see his body was not right — he was swollen, he had put on weight,” Wellens explained. “Seeing him arrive in Paris was a huge relief. Everybody was asking why he was not attacking, but now it makes sense. We were worried about him physically, but mentally he stayed strong.”
Life under the spotlight – “he feels it 24 hours a day”
Wellens also lifted the curtain on the constant attention the world champion faces — even when nature calls.
“He has become a huge star,” he said. “If he has to stop to go to the toilet during a race, he hides because people immediately rush to take photos. You do not realise it, but he feels that 24 hours a day. Sometimes I see he has had enough, but he manages it very well.”
Despite the pressure and physical strain, Wellens remains confident that Pogacar is still fuelled by joy and love for the sport, rather than obligation. “I think Tadej will keep racing for a long time because he really loves what he does.”
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- I get the point totally. We live in the snowflake society where some riders forget they are getting paid to ride and get results. When they have a few issues they try to look outside of the real issue instead of themselves. It odd so many of the team are making no complaints and getting on with their job. If you do not like what you do find another job simples. Tough love as my mum would say.paultryan200207-11-2026
- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
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