{
  "id": 6149742,
  "title": "Tadej Pogačar is out of World Championships – and it's OK not to feel guilty for enjoying the unpredictability",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/07/tadej-pogacar-is-out-of-world-championships-and-its-ok-not-to-feel",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-07T16:09:08.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Cycling Weekly",
    "slug": "cycling-weekly",
    "url": "https://www.cyclingweekly.com/racing/tadej-pogacar-is-out-of-world-championships-and-its-ok-not-to-feel-guilty-for-enjoying-the-unpredictability"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Tadej Pogačar's unexpected absence from the UCI Road World Championships in Montreal, Canada has led to a surge of excitement and unpredictability in the competition. The 2023 Tour de France champion, who had seemed untouchable, crashed during the Vuelta a España, resulting in a broken collarbone, concussion, multiple abrasions, and a cervical fracture. Pogačar announced that his season was over, and he would focus on recovery, supporting his team, and preparing for next year.\n\nThe absence of the favorite rider has opened up the race, giving a number of riders a chance to secure the gold medal. Notable contenders include 2023 champion Mathieu van der Poel, Remco Evenepoel, Paul Seixas, Isaac Del Toro, Wout van Ael, and Tom Pidcock. Fans and sports enthusiasts alike can now enjoy the unpredictability of the race, as no one can predict who might take home the title. Regardless of the outcome, Pogačar is expected to be back stronger than ever in the upcoming season.",
  "summary": "The Slovenian has called it a day for this season to concentrate on recovering from his Vuelta crash",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}