TakeVuelta2 weeks ago
UAE rules out Pogačar for European Championships
Tadej Pogačar's surgeon Dr. Xavier Mir told him there were no medical obstacles to racing the European Championships on 4 October, less than six weeks after his Vuelta crash. UAE Team Emirates-XRG ruled it out anyway. Sports director Mauro Gianetti: «His desire to be there is easy to understand, but it is too soon, health is the priority, so it will not happen.»
What this means
UAE Team Emirates-XRG has closed the door on a European Championships return, so Pogačar's title defense from 2025 will not happen this year.
Pogačar returned to road training on 26 September, four weeks after the crash, and had reportedly been pressuring his team over a comeback in Ljubljana. The surgeon who operated on his collarbone found no medical reason to stop him. But his coach Javier Sola and the team's medical staff have kept pushing for patience, wary that an early return could carry unnecessary risk, according to El País. Gianetti's statement draws the line explicitly: medically possible is not the same as organizationally allowed, and on that distinction the team, not the surgeon, has the final word.
Sources
"That won't happen": UAE responds to Pogačar and rules out the European ChampionshipsTadej Pogačar Is so Desperate to Return to Racing He's Pressuring His Team Over a European ComebackTadej Pogačar is pushing for a comeback at the European Championships | TOURTadej Pogacar reportedly pushing UAE for shock European Championships comeback2026 European Championship in Slovenia is Perfect for PogačarPogačar reportedly pushing to race home Euros five weeks post Vuelta crash
Analysed 6 sources, written and summarised with AI · How we work