Pogacar to miss rest of 2026 season after Vuelta crash
The five-time Tour de France champion will miss the World and European Championships and Il Lombardia after sustaining multiple injuries.
Tadej Pogacar will not race again in 2026 after a crash while leading the Vuelta a España’s eighth stage, ending his bid to complete the set of Grand Tour titles.
The Slovenian suffered a broken collarbone requiring surgery, concussion, a stable neck fracture and multiple abrasions. UAE Team Emirates-XRG said the decision to end his season would allow him to recover fully without setting a return-to-racing timeline.
Pogacar will miss the World Championships, where he was due to defend his title, as well as the European Championships and Il Lombardia. He plans to return to competition in 2027, although no date has been set.
The 27-year-old is a five-time Tour de France champion and has won the Giro d’Italia once. He had been leading the Vuelta as he sought to add the Spanish race to his Grand Tour victories.
UAE Team Emirates-XRG also announced that Pogacar has extended his contract by two years, taking it through 2032. BBC Sport reported the team’s announcement on 5 September.
