"We are organising a birthday party and the birthday boy isn't there" - European Championships boss gutted Tadej Pogacar won't start race
Cycling
The European Championships cake is about to be served, and although Tadej Pogacar isn't there to blow out the candles, the party is by no means over in Slovenia. With the elite men's road race set to take centre stage on Sunday, it's hoped the defending champion's absence won't take away from the day.
Of course, Pogacar will not be at the start line in Ljubljana for a race he had long targeted. His Vuelta crash injuries - a broken collarbone, broken vertebrae and concussion - brought his season to an abrupt end in late August and ruled him out of the World Championships, the Slovenia homecoming and an Il Lombardia record push.
That's not to say Pogacar didn't push to make an unexpected return. The 28-year-old reportedly contacted the surgeon who operated on his collarbone in hopes of gaining medical clearance. However, UAE Team Emirates - XRG and team boss Mauro Gianetti swiftly dashed hopes of a return in favour of an adaquete recovery.
For the European Championships organisers, Pogacar was to be their showpiece in hopes of attracting crowds to the race. His Vuelta crash and subsequent end of season came as a disappointment for more than just the rider.
"On the day of his crash in the Vuelta , life in Slovenia stood still for a day," Rok Lozej, the race director of the European Championships, told Het Nieuwsblad.
Tadej Pogacar
Pogacar's absence a blow for Slovenia
"At least, mine did. It is as if we are organising a birthday party and the birthday boy isn't there. On the other hand, Tadej will be there. He was already riding the course here on Wednesday."
Although the five-time Tour winner is in Slovenia for the weekend, visiting friends and family. He's expected to make an appearance over the course of the race as Slovenian hopes turn towards veteran Primoz Roglic.
"It goes without saying that he will show up somewhere this weekend as well, only he won't be wearing a race number. Hopefully, it won't cause people to stay home.
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Hopes fall on Primoz Roglic
"There are still many great riders at the start; we want to show that Slovenia also has successors for Tadej ready. And there is always Primoz Roglic."
On the bright side, Lozej is happy that the jersey won at his race on Sunday will be represented in the peloton over the next twelve months. Noting that had Pogacar won the World Championships as expected last week, a win in Slovenia would mean the jersey would not be seen as the rainbow bands take priority.
"Oh well, without that crash, Tadej might have become world and European champion again. Now at least we are certain that the European jersey will be seen in the peloton next year as well."
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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- Could be worse, like Visma. Staff, riders and coaches all leaving mid contract. Visma is in free fall look in TDF how irrelevant they are now..vuelta and small races only place they can compete if the bset dont arrive these days its sad.miguel04-10-2026
- Thats just factually wrong. (also if we just remove the best rider on a certain team is a fictual thing to say in the first place and shows how delulu and far off reality ur take is, doesnt work klike that UAE bread and made pogacra into best ever his domestiques beat other captains for fun in montreal and wc - cant have fictioon in the debate if you wanne be taken serious thats not how reality works) Take away pogacar and uae still far ahead on UCI points...look montreal other teams captains cant win vs UAE domestiques haha in both montrela and WC its crazy - the rest simply got some job do tod. RBH and Lidl are closest tho as of now. Besides if you look further Visma isnt top 3. Roster of RBH and Lidl way better. In fact visma boss out saying they struggle and cant keep up financially and it show. They have no climbers on the team no top 10 in TDF even when jonas is out says it all, also jonas was isolated non stop when other team wasnt, its really easy to get Visma is falling apart and not a top 3 team anymore. Dude staff and riders are fleeing away from visma and quit mid contract...something is off.miguel04-10-2026
- The mental slap he got in Kigali will remain with him for a long time and it’s not that he was having that bad a day seeing how few riders were faster. Seems a lot of people like to push stuff under carpets, and as we seem to always have to connect everything to America these days (isn’t MAGAA better in retrospect? Make America Get Attention Again) isn’t it funny how fast people stopped discussing the assasination, it’s almost as if it’s been normalised.Jumpyjohn04-10-2026
- Thomas is killing this team......
Senna196004-10-2026 - Thank you, almost as if someone reads my posts ;-) The trouble with cycling news is people focus more on form than content. I know there isn’t always much but sometimes the missing is quite interesting and important to understand the scene.Jumpyjohn04-10-2026
- I couldn't find the race broadcast anywhere so highlights will have to do. I have watched, several times, the rider send-off for Nairo Quintana, and I still haven't made it through without getting choked up. It's a beautiful tradition in a beautiful sport. Nairo was a champion and a gentleman. I'll miss him.megasmacky04-10-2026
- Jawohl Herr Doktor Professor! So, you include a bunch leaving, a bunch of Austrians, hypothesise poaching someone away from another more German team (I wonder how well that will go down), forget to mention or put into comparisn with how many Italians or Danes are on the team and you call this proof of being a German team? By that measure I now proclaim Uno-X to be Danish and can understand why Trump thinks Greenland should be his, or if not, American. They probably don’t even use German as a first language. Maybe in 3-4 years if this is their aim but considering how many times this team has already changed « «nationality » in the past, let’s wait and see. I expected some serious or official information as to why Germany was chosen not why somebody feels there’s some relation, I already saw that with one of the sponsors. PS please don’t make me check how many white guys are listed in the football team. Sorry for the harschness but if you’re observant and not too sensitive (and today it’s best not to be) you’ll see some hidden humour in this.Jumpyjohn04-10-2026
- They have Patrick Konrad, Lennard Kämna, Tim Torn Teutenberg (leaving for Soudal), Max Walscheid (retiring). Felix Gall, Gregor Mühlberger, Georg Zimmermann are all incoming aswell as Grischa Niermann. They've got Benedikt Benz and Louis Leidart in the Devo squad. I don't think they'll pull off the Lipowitz heist but they are certainly a very German team
Rafionain-Glas04-10-2026 - Piganzoli's win today, with a strong assist from Jorgensen, is just more weight against your claim. They still have one of the two best GC riders in the world, one of the 2 best classics riders, and one of the top sprinters...plus elite domestiques and a development squad as deep as any. Take away Tadej Pogacar and Visma is still as strong as any team in the world.MidnightRider04-10-2026
- That's your copy and paste response LOL ! Your mommy should take away your keyboard CLOWN !frieders304-10-2026
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