Mike O'Connor
Tadej Pogacar’s bid to complete a career Grand Tour clean sweep has ended in dramatic fashion, with the Slovenian abandoning the Vuelta a España after a heavy crash on stage eight.
The UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider came down with around 33km remaining, initially appearing to consider getting back on his bike before sitting down and eventually walking to an awaiting ambulance.
Pogacar suffered cuts to the left side of his face and appeared to be in considerable pain around his left shoulder. The Vuelta medical report initially raised the possibility of an acromioclavicular injury, concussion and a laceration above his left eyebrow.
A subsequent assessment at hospital confirmed more serious injuries.
UAE Team Emirates-XRG said Pogacar had suffered a concussion, displaced fracture of the left clavicle and a stable C7 cervical fracture, along with multiple abrasions. The team said there were no other major injuries or neurological complications.
“He is stable,” the team said in its medical update. “He will require clavicle surgery which will be delayed due to concussion precautions.”
The 27-year-old will require surgery on his fractured clavicle, although the procedure will be delayed while doctors manage the concussion.
The crash brings an abrupt end to what had been a dominant Vuelta campaign for Pogacar. He began stage eight with a 3:50 advantage over Spain’s Enric Mas and had established himself as the clear favourite to win the race for the first time.
Pogacar had already won three stages during the race, including stage seven, and was targeting his seventh Grand Tour victory.
The Slovenian has won the Tour de France five times and claimed the Giro d’Italia, leaving the Vuelta as the only missing title in cycling’s three Grand Tours. A victory in Spain would have made him only the ninth rider in history to complete the set.
It is the first time Pogacar has abandoned a Grand Tour.
His withdrawal is also a significant blow to UAE Team Emirates-XRG, which will now have to abandon its overall victory ambitions and reassess its strategy for the remainder of the race.
The crash is another setback in a season in which Pogacar has already cemented his status among the sport’s greatest riders. He equalled the record for Tour de France victories last month and has also amassed 13 wins in cycling’s five Monuments.
Paris-Roubaix remains the major omission from his palmarès after he finished runner-up in 2025.
Mike O’Connor – A keen cyclist, runner and photographer, Mike O’Connor is the Editor of Bicycling Australia. He manages the BA website and social media, and loves promoting the achievements of Australian cyclists.
