Tadej Pogacar faces surgery after suffering broken collarbone and concussion in Vuelta crash

Tadej Pogacar sustained a concussion and a broken collarbone during a crash which ended his participation in the Vuelta a Espana on Saturday. The UAE Team Emirates-XRG cyclist, who had been leading the race and wearing the red jersey since winning the first stage, collided with another rider and fell in the peloton with over 30 kilometers remaining in the stage from Pucol to Xeraco.

Pogacar suffered additional impacts from other riders who crashed into him from behind, some of whom also fell. Television replays suggest he may have hit an object, possibly a small rock, on the ground. While his condition was initially assessed as stable, he was taken to an ambulance following the crash, where he was diagnosed with a concussion, a displaced left clavicle fracture, a stable C7 cervical fracture, and multiple abrasions.

Surgery on his collarbone will be required, but it has been delayed due to his concussion. Pogacar, who recently won his fifth Tour de France and the 2024 Giro d'Italia, aimed to secure his first Vuelta victory, which would have made him the ninth rider to complete all three Grand Tours. His teammate Enric Mas took the red jersey after the stage, becoming the first Spaniard to lead the Vuelta since 2018, while Primoz Roglic, another Vuelta winner, finished second. Frenchman Bryan Coquard won the stage, and Mads Pedersen and Jordi Meeus completed the podium.