Tadej Pogacar's season over - UAE leader won't return until next season as World Championships ruled out after surgery
Cycling
Tadej Pogacar will officially not race again in the 2026 season following his crash at the Vuelta a Espana. Undergoing surgery earlier this week on a broken collarbone, Pogacar also sustained a concussion and fractured C7 vertebrae in a brutal fall that ended his red jersey bid.
Enjoying a phenomenal season before his crash, the UAE Team Emirates - XRG rider found himself in the red jersey as he looked to add a Vuelta general classification win to his Tour de France title in July. He also took victories in Milano Sanremo and Tour of Flanders among other dominant performances.
La Gazzetta dello Sport journalist Ciro Scognamiglio reported that Pogacar will not race until next year and that his 2026 season is over. The journalist reports that a team communication is imminent confirming the news.
Soon after, UAE confirmed the news in a statement. Pogacar said: “Of course, this isn’t the way I wanted my season to finish. Right now, the most important thing is to recover properly and give my body the time it needs.
"It has been a season with many special moments and I’m proud of what we achieved together. Now I’ll focus on getting healthy, supporting the guys from home, and coming back next year ready for what’s ahead.”
It had been speculated that Pogacar could attempt to defend his World Championships rainbow jersey on September 27th, while before the crash he had also lined up goals such as the European Championships and Il Lombardia to round out his season.
Info @Gazzetta_it - About @TamauPogi, sources confirmed us that the scenario is season 2026 over for the world champ, only missing official communication by the team @cycling_podcast
— Ciro Scognamiglio (@cirogazzetta) September 5, 2026
Pogacar's injuries after crash
But with a complicated list of injuries, Pogacar was released from hospital mid-week still sporting bandages and with his arm in a sling. The Montreal championships are now just over three weeks away, making a participation particularly unlikely.
In an interview this week, Slovenian team doctor Kristof Knap eased speculation of an impending fitness race for Pogacar - pointing to the physical ramifications of rushing his recovery.
“It isn’t realistic, however much we might want it. Ultimately, Tadej is only human, and he has to live with this body for the rest of his life," Knap said in an interview with RTV SLO.
Full rehabilitation now the focus
"The most important thing is that he rehabilitates fully, without rushing the process," Knap added.
Pogacar crashed on last Saturday's stage 8 with about 32 kilometers left to go. Riding in a calm bunch, Pogacar appeared to hit a stone, leading to him losing control and falling. In the immediate aftermath, Pogacar got back on his feet and intended to continue before his injuries became apparent and he was hospitalised.
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.
claps 7visitors 6
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- What kind of sauce is on that rice? Ketchup?Kbd05-11-2026
- 18 broken bones. 78 crashes, among 30 rider per year is a lot. so for a rider over 15 seasons, they will break their bones 7-8 times and crash 38 times.abstractengineer04-11-2026
- i dont think he is ready ot win against the top 2 or the 2nd rung of evenepoel, del toro , Almeida. In the third week in the TDF he was very very defensive, no attacks. i think he was exhausted. right now he needs time not the brutal Giro or the intense TDF.abstractengineer04-11-2026
- Rota is an excellent rider to get in a break with because he always does his turnchapmanesque04-11-2026
- That 3000 extra that the Tour de France is built up in the flat stages
Rafionain-Glas04-11-2026 - maybe this is something else they can protest in the streets of France.mij04-11-2026
- his Roubaix win was amazing. not to take anything away from him - arguably one of MVDP's wins was at the expense of a WVA flat - but so many things need to line up to get one of these. He had a perfect race with fewer bike issues on an attritional course. And crazy strong as usual. Glad he got this done.mij04-11-2026
- Orts was a super smart signing with the new rules regarding cross and UCI pointsmij04-11-2026
- yeah... you're right...PogiSloFans04-11-2026
- Podcast sounds great. Two so called experts stating the f*cking obvious.wrsty04-11-2026
Loading
8 Comments