TakeVuelta4 weeks ago
UAE Team Emirates-XRG confirmed Tadej Pogačar won't race again in 2026 — and in the same breath extended his contract through 2032. That's not hedging, it's a team betting big on a rider recovering from a broken clavicle and a cervical fracture.
A contract extension is normally a negotiating milestone, not something you bolt onto a season-ending injury announcement. Doing both at once turns a medical setback into a two-year vote of confidence, tying Pogačar to the team through age 34. Dr. Adrian Rotunno's line — «there is no benefit in accelerating that process simply to meet a racing deadline» — only makes sense if the real target was never late 2026 at all, but a clean relaunch in 2027.
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