“We don’t know whether it was a GoPro or a stone” - Tadej Pogacar “in a bad way” says UAE boss Matxin, as confusion reigns over cause of Vuelta-ending crash

UAE Team Emirates - XRG's Joxean Matxin has provided an update on the condition of Tadej Pogacar, describing the Slovenian as being “in a bad way” as uncertainty continues over precisely what sent the general classification leader crashing out of the 2026 Vuelta a Espana on Stage 8.

Pogacar suffered a concussion, displaced fracture of his left collarbone, stable C7 cervical fracture and multiple abrasions in the high-speed fall with approximately 32 kilometres remaining. UAE Team Emirates – XRG confirmed that no neurological damage had been discovered, but surgery on his clavicle has been delayed under concussion protocols.

The Slovenian offered some reassurance on Sunday morning by sharing a photograph from his hospital bed accompanied by Stayin’ Alive. Matxin’s assessment ahead of Stage 9 nevertheless conveyed the physical and emotional severity of what had happened. “He’s in a bad way. Honestly, he’s in a bad way,” the UAE boss told MARCA.

Pogacar had led the Vuelta since winning the opening time trial in Monaco and held a 3:50 advantage over Enric Mas. His attempt to win the only Grand Tour missing from his palmares ended inside an ambulance, having already taken three stage victories during the opening week.

“He was leading the race and on course to win the Vuelta a Espana,” Matxin said. “On paper, if something like this hadn’t happened, we had every reason to be optimistic. Unfortunately, though, this is another stone in the road, just like in life generally.”

Television footage showed Pogacar suddenly lose control while riding close to the front of the peloton. He veered to his right, made contact with another rider and was thrown heavily over his handlebars.

A sizeable object could be seen on the road, but UAE have not determined exactly what Pogacar struck. “We don’t know whether it was a GoPro or a stone,” Matxin admitted. “What is certain is that he was drinking with one hand, meaning he only had one hand on the handlebars. That appears to be what happened, because it was otherwise a calm moment in the race.”

Matxin stressed that several riders had negotiated the same section before Pogacar encountered the object. “Six riders passed the stone or GoPro without anything happening, and then it caught him,” he continued. “These are circumstances that riders sometimes escape, but on this occasion it happened to him.”

Pogacar was initially taken to hospital in Gandia before being transferred to Barcelona for further treatment. His collarbone fracture requires surgery, although the concussion means doctors cannot immediately proceed with the operation.

“Under the concussion protocol, he has to wait 24 hours before undergoing surgery,” Matxin explained. “He will then be operated on. Once the operation has taken place, we will have a better idea of the rehabilitation timescale.”

The medical consequences extend beyond Pogacar’s abandoned Vuelta. His planned defence of the world road race title in Montreal, the European Championships on home roads in Slovenia and Il Lombardia must all remain uncertain until UAE receive a clearer recovery schedule.

“Until we have that information, the team’s medical department will be responsible for communicating those details,” Matxin added. “I don’t have them at the moment.”

Pogacar’s teammates stopped after the crash and eventually crossed the finish line together almost 12 minutes behind the peloton. That collective gesture ended UAE’s remaining GC presence but underlined where the team’s priorities lay once their leader had been taken away.

“The team’s attitude deserves enormous credit,” Matxin said. “Every rider waited so that they could finish together, regardless of whether that meant losing five, 10, 11 or 14 minutes. That is what being a team means. I could not be prouder of the riders’ commitment and their attitude.”

UAE began Stage 9 without a realistic overall contender but with several riders capable of pursuing victories during the remaining two weeks. Matxin challenged them to respond by racing aggressively and attempting to dedicate a stage win to Pogacar. “One door has now closed, the one involving Tadej, the best cyclist in the world,” he said. “But another opens for the best team in the world. We must now race aggressively and be on the attack. We have lost the general classification, but every remaining stage and every day provides another opportunity.”

Asked how he was coping personally, Matxin offered another one-word answer: “Devastated.”

The team that had controlled the opening week must now reinvent its Vuelta without the rider who won three of its first six completed stages. UAE’s immediate objective is no longer defending red, but proving Matxin’s claim that the strongest collective in the race remains even after losing its leader.