Pogacar undergoes clavicular surgery after Vuelta crash

Slovenian cyclist Tadej Pogačar has successfully undergone surgery to repair his fractured left clavicle following a crash that ended his participation in the Vuelta a España. The UAE Team Emirates-XRG team announced the news on Monday evening, two days after the incident occurred. Pogačar had initially been unable to have the surgery due to a concussion he sustained in the crash, but after receiving medical clearance, he underwent the procedure at Hospital Universitari Dexeus in Barcelona, Spain.

The surgery was successful, and Pogačar will remain in the hospital for post-operative monitoring for a few days. Upon his recovery, he will return home to continue his rehabilitation under the guidance of the team’s medical staff. The crash, which occurred approximately 31 kilometers from the finish line of stage eight, involved several other riders, including fellow UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider Pavel Sivakov, as well as riders Oscar Onley and Ben Tulett.

Pogačar was treated at the scene before being transported by ambulance to the hospital for further evaluation. Additional injuries confirmed following the crash included a stable fracture of the C7 vertebra in his neck and multiple abrasions, with no neurological damage reported. The crash ended Pogačar’s Vuelta campaign prematurely, as he had been leading the general classification, with a four-minute advantage over Enric Mas.

This marked his first career failure to finish a Grand Tour. A clavicle fracture typically requires six to twelve weeks to heal, though individual recovery times may vary. Pogačar's planned defense of the rainbow jersey at the UCI Road World Championships in Montreal on September 27 is now in significant doubt due to his injuries.

His rehabilitation will commence at home once he is discharged from the hospital, with the UAE Team Emirates-XRG expected to provide further updates on his progress.