Tadej Pogačar Ruled Out of World Championships After Vuelta Crash
Five-time Tour de France champion Tadej Pogačar will miss the 2026 World Road Cycling Championships after suffering serious injuries in a crash at the Vuelta a España.
The Slovenian star sustained a concussion, a C7 cervical vertebra fracture and an open clavicle fracture during Stage 8 of the race.
Pogačar was leading the Vuelta when the crash ended his attempt to become only the ninth rider in history to win cycling’s three Grand Tours.
His injuries will also rule him out of the World Championships in Montreal, scheduled for September 20–27, where he was hoping to defend his road race title.
Pogačar has won the last two world road race championships but has never finished on the podium in the individual time trial.
His team, UAE Team Emirates-XRG, confirmed that he is recovering well following surgery and also announced that Pogačar has extended his contract through 2032.
The cyclist said his priority is now to recover properly, support his teammates from home and return next season fully prepared.
Without Pogačar, attention at the World Championships is expected to turn to Belgian star Remco Evenepoel, who could make history by becoming the first man or woman to win four consecutive world time-trial titles.
