Pogacar, after breaking three vertebrae: I'm happy to be alive, and that I can stand on my own two feet
Cyclist Tadej Pogacar revealed in an interview with The Athletic that he suffered fractures in three vertebrae during a crash at the end of August during the Tour of Spain. While his initial diagnosis indicated a stable fracture of the seventh cervical vertebra along with a broken collarbone and concussion, subsequent medical examinations in Slovenia identified additional fractures in the T1 and T2 vertebrae. Pogacar stated that he was relieved to have missed the European Championships due to these injuries and expressed gratitude for being alive and able to stand. He described the first few weeks after the injury as the most difficult period, noting that he experienced dizziness, coordination issues, and severe exhaustion resulting from the concussion. Although doctors classified the spinal fractures as stable, Pogacar remains cautious about lifting heavy objects or falling again, acknowledging that another crash could be highly problematic. He has since returned to normal life and indoor cycling training, which helped improve his mental state after a period of psychological distress following surgery.
Slovenian cycling star Tadej Pogačar disclosed on Tuesday that additional medical imaging revealed he suffered three fractured vertebrae during a crash at the Vuelta a España in late August, a diagnosis significantly more severe than initially reported. The 28-year-old, who rides for UAE Team Emirates XRG, stated in an interview with The Athletic that he is simply grateful to be alive and able to stand. While doctors originally identified a stable fracture of the seventh cervical vertebra, a broken left collarbone, and a concussion, scans conducted in Slovenia approximately two weeks ago detected additional breaks in the T1 and T2 vertebrae of the upper thoracic spine. Pogačar described the discovery as a strange turn of events. He noted that upon seeing the extent of the spinal damage, he felt relieved that he had not competed in the European Championships held in his home country, which had been his primary target following the Vuelta withdrawal. The crash occurred on Stage 8 of the Spanish tour, ending his campaign prematurely despite leading the general classification. The injury also prevented him from contesting the World Championships in Montreal, Canada, where his teammate Brandon McNulty won the 2026 title, as well as the Tour of Lombardy. The recovery process proved physically and mentally demanding. Pogačar spent four days in a hospital in Barcelona before returning to Monaco. He recounted how simple tasks became exhausting trials due to the effects of his concussion. Dizziness and impaired coordination made it difficult for him to perform basic daily activities. He explained that he required assistance from his team doctor to shower because standing up or lowering his head triggered intense vertigo and nausea. He described feeling exhausted and disoriented during these early weeks. Following surgery on his collarbone, Pogačar admitted to being psychologically distressed. Unlike the surgeons who remained optimistic, he felt depressed and noted that being around him was uncomfortable for others during that period. His mood improved once he began rehabilitation and indoor cycling training, which helped stabilize his mental state. Although he describes the recovery as a day-by-day battle, he currently reports having no pain or physical discomfort. However, he remains cautious and avoids lifting heavy objects with his left arm or using his neck for leverage. Pogačar expressed fear regarding the possibility of another fall. Despite doctors classifying the vertebral fractures as stable, he acknowledged that a future crash could have serious consequences. He described thinking about the severity of his injuries as frightening, noting there is no room for jokes given the circumstances. He emphasized that luck is defined by surviving a crash and remaining on one’s feet. Beyond his personal health, Pogačar criticized safety conditions in professional cycling. He observed that accidents are becoming more frequent and urged race organizers to eliminate dangerous road sections and obstacles, particularly near finish lines. He specifically called for the removal of poor surfaces, sharp curves in the final 500 meters, potholes, speed bumps, and roundabouts from race routes. Despite the season-ending injury, Pogačar had a highly successful year. He convincingly won the Tour de France for the fifth time. He also captured three of the four major spring classics, losing only Paris-Roubaix to Belgian Wout van Aert in a sprint finish. His victories included the Strade Bianche and both stage races in Switzerland, bringing his career total to 130 wins. He was on track to win the Vuelta, the only Grand Tour he has not previously conquered, and aimed for a third consecutive world title and a sixth straight Lombardy victory before the crash intervened. He is expected to return to competition in 2027. For now, his focus remains on completing his rehabilitation. Observers consider it unlikely he will lose the award for the best cyclist of the year, given his dominance in the first half of the season. The additional findings highlight the hidden severity of high-speed impacts in modern racing, prompting renewed discussion about course design and rider protection standards within the sport.
Slovenian cyclist Tadej Pogacar has spoken publicly for the first time about his recovery following a severe crash during the Tour of Spain. In an interview with The Athletic, he detailed injuries including three broken vertebrae, a fractured collarbone, and a concussion. Pogacar described the physical challenges of basic movements, such as walking to an ice cream shop after being discharged from a hospital in Barcelona. He also highlighted significant psychological stress associated with the incident. The article notes that while he did not finish the race, he intends to return to competition.
Bias read (Center): The article reports on a sports injury and athlete statement using neutral language and direct quotes without political framing or editorializing.
Cyclist Tadej Pogacar revealed in an interview with The Athletic that he suffered fractures in three vertebrae during a crash at the end of August during the Tour of Spain. While his initial diagnosis indicated a stable fracture of the seventh cervical vertebra along with a broken collarbone and concussion, subsequent medical examinations in Slovenia identified additional fractures in the T1 and T2 vertebrae. Pogacar stated that he was relieved to have missed the European Championships due to these injuries and expressed gratitude for being alive and able to stand. He described the first few weeks after the injury as the most difficult period, noting that he experienced dizziness, coordination issues, and severe exhaustion resulting from the concussion. Although doctors classified the spinal fractures as stable, Pogacar remains cautious about lifting heavy objects or falling again, acknowledging that another crash could be highly problematic. He has since returned to normal life and indoor cycling training, which helped improve his mental state after a period of psychological distress following surgery.
Bias read (Center): The article reports on a sports injury using neutral language and direct quotes from the athlete without political framing or editorializing.
Slovenian cyclist Tadej Pogacar revealed in an interview with The Athletic that his injuries sustained during a crash in the Tour of Spain were more severe than initially diagnosed. While he was originally told he had broken his seventh cervical vertebra, clavicle, and suffered a concussion, follow-up scans showed he had also fractured the first and second thoracic vertebrae. Pogacar described the early recovery period as difficult due to dizziness, coordination issues, and psychological distress, noting that he required assistance with basic tasks like showering. He expressed relief at being alive and standing on his own feet, acknowledging that further falls could be dangerous despite the fractures being classified as stable. The article notes that Pogacar has since returned to normal life but remains cautious regarding physical exertion.
Bias read (Center): The article reports on a sports injury using neutral language and direct quotes from the athlete, focusing on medical facts and personal recovery rather than political implications.
Slovenian cyclist Tadej Pogačar revealed in an interview with The Athletic that he suffered three fractured vertebrae during a crash in the Tour de Spain in late August, rather than just one as initially diagnosed. While his first medical assessment identified a stable fracture of the seventh cervical vertebra along with a collarbone break and concussion, subsequent scans in Slovenia confirmed additional fractures in the T1 and T2 vertebrae. Pogačar described the initial weeks after the injury as extremely difficult, noting that he required assistance from team doctors for basic tasks like showering due to severe dizziness and coordination issues stemming from the brain trauma. He admitted to feeling psychologically devastated immediately following surgery but stated that his mood improved once he began rehabilitation and indoor cycling training. Although he has returned to a normal life and reports no current pain, the professional remains cautious about lifting heavy objects or falling again, acknowledging that another crash could be highly problematic given his spinal injuries.
Bias read (Center): The article focuses exclusively on a personal health crisis within a sports context, using neutral language and direct quotes without any political framing or commentary.
Cyclist Tadej Pogacar revealed in an interview with The Athletic that he suffered three fractured vertebrae during a crash in the eighth stage of the Vuelta a Espana, a condition discovered after his initial diagnosis indicated only a stable fracture of the seventh cervical vertebra, a broken collarbone, and a concussion. The Slovenian rider stated that he was relieved to have missed the European Championships due to the injury and expressed gratitude for surviving the incident. He described the first weeks after the accident as physically and mentally challenging, noting that he required assistance from team doctors for basic tasks like showering due to dizziness and coordination issues caused by the concussion. Although he has returned to normal life and resumed indoor cycling training, Pogacar remains cautious about lifting heavy objects or falling again, acknowledging that another crash could be severe. He emphasized that while doctors consider the fractures stable, the experience was frightening and highlighted the importance of luck in remaining conscious and standing after such a fall.
Bias read (Center): The article focuses exclusively on medical recovery and personal reflections regarding a sports injury, containing no political content or ideological framing.
Cyclist Tadej Pogacar revealed in an interview with The Athletic that he suffered fractures in three vertebrae (C7, T1, and T2), along with a collarbone fracture and concussion, during a crash in the eighth stage of the Vuelta a Espana. Although initial diagnostics indicated only a stable C7 fracture, subsequent examinations in Slovenia uncovered the additional spinal injuries. Pogacar described the first weeks after the accident as physically and mentally challenging, noting severe dizziness, coordination issues, and emotional distress that required assistance for basic tasks like showering. He expressed relief at being alive and standing on his own feet, while acknowledging that another fall could have catastrophic consequences due to the nature of his spinal injuries. Despite the severity of the trauma, Pogacar has resumed rehabilitation and indoor cycling training, though he remains cautious about lifting heavy objects or risking further falls.
Bias read (Center): The article reports on a sports injury using neutral language and direct quotes from the athlete, focusing on medical facts and personal recovery rather than political implications.
Slovenian cyclist Tadej Pogačar revealed in an interview with The Athletic that he suffered fractures in three cervical vertebrae during a crash in late August at the Tour of Spain, rather than just one as initially diagnosed. Additional medical examinations conducted recently in Slovenia confirmed breaks in the C7, T1, and T2 vertebrae alongside a concussion. Pogačar stated that he was relieved to have missed the European Championships due to his injuries and expressed gratitude for being alive after experiencing severe dizziness and coordination issues. He described the first few weeks as psychologically difficult, noting that he required assistance from team doctors for basic tasks like showering due to exhaustion and disorientation. Although he has returned to normal life and indoor training, the rider remains cautious about lifting heavy objects or falling again while fully recovering.
Bias read (Center): The article reports on a personal health update regarding a professional athlete using neutral language and direct quotes without political framing or ideological bias.
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