Tadej Pogacar 'happy to be alive' as he recalls 'scary' Vuelta crash

Show caption: Slovenian rider Tadej Pogacar of team UAE Team Emirates XRG …

UAE Team Emirates star rider to make comeback in 2027 but is focused on rehab after suffering multiple fractures in Spain

The National

November 01, 2026

UAE Team Emirates star Tadej Pogacar admits he is just “happy to be alive” as he reflects on the season-ending injuries he suffered at August's Vuelta a Espana.

The five-time Tour de France champion was on course to add the race to his palmares – the only Grand Tour he is yet to win – but suffered three fractured vertebrae in a “scary” crash on Stage 8.

The 28-year-old Slovenian was ruled out for the season and required surgery on a broken collarbone. He was initially diagnosed with a fracture in his neck, but scans in his home country revealed further injuries.

“I knew I had a C7 fracture, but then we saw I had two more broken vertebrae, the T1 and T2,” Pogacar told The Athletic. “At that moment, I was happy I didn't do the European Championships, which had been my initial goal. When I saw I had three broken vertebrae? I'm just happy to be alive actually, or just to be standing.”

Pogacar said he struggled with dizziness, nausea and poor co-ordination after suffering a concussion in the crash.

“I had to be showered with the help of the team doctor. I could not shower. I was getting dizzy as soon as I stood or when I put my head down,” Pogacar added. “I was just completely out of it and it was so tough.”

Show caption: Tadej Pogacar in his hospital bed on Sunday morning, a day a…

His injuries meant he was unable to defend his title at the World Championships in Montreal, where his UAE teammate Brandon McNulty claimed the 2026 crown.

Pogacar said he struggled mentally, but his mood improved once he was able to resume some light indoor training.

“When I started to get on the home trainer, to go to physio every day, then I started to feel better, also in the head. But it was a day-to-day fight,” he said.

“I don't have discomfort any more. I have to be careful not to crash on the bike, or do some heavy lifting with my left arm or with my neck. But I can do basically everything normal now.”

Pogacar is targeting a return next year, but admits the crash will play on his mind. UAE Team Emirates have said there is no timeline for his return, with the focus purely on ensuring he makes a full recovery. Pogacar signed a new contract in September and will remain with the team until 2032.

“If I crash again on the bike now, it can be very problematic. Everybody says that I was lucky, and you're always lucky after a crash where you can walk away and you're fine,” said Pogacar.

“You see it's pretty serious and not to joke around. It's a bit scary, to be honest, to thin

Updated:

November 01, 2026, 4:34 AM