TakeVuelta2 weeks ago
Pogačar: "getting better each day" after Vuelta crash
Tadej Pogačar gave a recovery update at the Trentino Super Worlds presentation on October 2, 2026, about a month after his Vuelta a España crash on August 29. "I'm getting better each day after the crash," he said. He's framing the comeback in small steps rather than a calendar date — a scar photo, a jersey caption, outdoor rides with his partner.
What this means
UAE Team Emirates-XRG has already confirmed Pogačar's 2026 season is over, with the Road World Championships, European Championships, and Il Lombardia all ruled out.
Pogačar returned to outdoor riding on September 26, 28 days after the crash, posting a photo of his collarbone surgery scar with the caption "First day back, last day with rainbow" — his final day as elite men's road race World Champion. He said Urška Žigart "has been kicking my ass on the climbs and on the downhills too," training alongside Eddie Dunbar and Gladys Verhulst-Wild. He began that outdoor training about a week before the October 2 presentation. None of it points to a fixed comeback date — UAE Team Emirates-XRG has already ruled him out for the rest of 2026, including the Road World Championships, the European Championships, and Il Lombardia. That absence of urgency lines up with a team playing a longer game regardless: Pogačar extended his contract through 2032 just days after the crash.
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