Pogačar may miss world championships after injury
Slovenian cyclist Tadej Pogačar underwent surgery for a broken collarbone after a crash on the eighth stage of the Vuelta a España. His participation in the Road Cycling World Championships, which will take place at the end of September, has been described as unlikely. As The National reports, the athlete has already left hospital following surgery.
Surgery and recovery
The UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider crashed on Saturday during the eighth stage of the Vuelta and withdrew early from the multi-stage race. In addition to the broken collarbone, he sustained a concussion, cuts and bruises. The operation was performed on Monday, and the team described it as successful.
UAE Team Emirates-XRG said that Pogačar would be monitored for several days at the Dexeus University Hospital in Barcelona, after which he was due to return to Monaco. Later, his partner Urška Žigart posted photographs of the cyclist on Instagram after his discharge. In the images, his left arm was in a sling.
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Montreal start in doubt
The men's elite race at the world championships is scheduled for September 27 in Montreal. Pogačar intended to compete for the title for a third consecutive time, but Slovenia national team doctor Kristof Knap told RTVSlo that he did not consider a return to competition within that timeframe realistic. The doctor stressed the importance of full rehabilitation without rushing.
Pogačar's teammate and compatriot Domen Novak also told Sporza that it would be difficult for the athlete to recover in time for the world championships. At the same time, he noted the rider's persistence in recovery. UAE Team Emirates-XRG has not definitively ruled Pogačar out of upcoming starts, but sporting manager Matxín Joxean Fernández stressed that the athlete's health is the team's priority.
Before the crash, the 27-year-old Pogačar was confidently leading the Vuelta's general classification, nearly four minutes ahead of Enric Mas of Movistar Team, and had won three stages. His calendar also included the European Championships on October 4 and Lombardia on October 10, which the Slovenian has won five times.
