This means he will miss out on defending his titles at the World Championships in Canada, the European Championships at home in Slovenia, and Il Lombardia.
"Of course, this isn’t the way I wanted my season to finish. Right now, the most important thing is to recover properly and give my body the time it needs," said Pogačar.
"It has been a season with many special moments and I’m proud of what we achieved together. Now I’ll focus on getting healthy, supporting the guys from home, and coming back next year ready for what’s ahead."
"After consultation with the team’s medical and performance staff, the decision has been taken to prioritise his recovery and rehabilitation, allowing him the necessary time to return to full health without placing a timeline on his return to competition," read an announcement on the team's website.
Pogačar crashed out while leading the Vuelta on stage 8, as he looked to complete the set of Grand Tour overall titles, suffering a complex fracture to his collarbone, a stable C7 cervical fracture, cuts to his face, and a concussion.
After being transported to Barcelona by ambulance, he underwent surgery on Monday, August 31, before returning to his home in Monaco two days later. Pictures posted on social media by his partner, Urška Žigart, showed him leaving the hospital with his left arm in a sling, and with several bandages on his face and left knee.
"Tadej is progressing well following surgery and we are very satisfied with his recovery to this point. However, given the combination of his injuries – the concussion, the stable C7 cervical fracture and the open clavicle fracture – we have taken the decision, together with Tadej, that he will not return to competition this season," said team Medical Director, Dr. Adrian Rotunno.
"From a medical perspective, his health is paramount, and the priority now is to allow each of these injuries to heal fully and to progress through his rehabilitation in a controlled manner.
"The post-operative clavicle and cervical fracture will both require a structured period of rehabilitation. Equally important is the need for him to progress carefully through a graduated concussion recovery protocol, with ongoing neurological monitoring. Only once he is medically recovered and personally ready, clearance to gradually start increasing training load can be given.
"There is no benefit in accelerating that process simply to meet a racing deadline. Removing the pressure allows Tadej to focus entirely on his recovery, with the objective of returning to full training and competition when he is completely ready."
Pogačar's original plan was to complete the Vuelta on September 13, with two weeks to prepare for Worlds on September 27 – where he was chasing a third road race rainbow jersey in a row – but this, the Europeans on October 4, and a chance at a record sixth Lombardy crown on October 20 have all come too soon.
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While he won't be seen at a race until 2027, UAE confirmed in the same announcement that he had extended his stay on the Emirati super team until 2032, putting to bed any suggestions of an early retirement after the LA Olympics in 2028 or in 2030, when his last contract was due to expire.
"Tadej has been central to the journey and development of this team, and we are extremely proud that this relationship will continue through 2032," said team principal and CEO Mauro Gianetti.
"Following his crash, there is absolutely no pressure for Tadej to return to racing this year. His health and recovery are the priority. He has given an enormous amount throughout the season and now the right decision is for him to take the necessary time to recover fully. We look forward to having him back with us when he is ready."
Pogačar's absence at the remaining key races of the season will completely change how they play out, but his extended time in the peloton points to a continuation of his domination, as the best rider seen since Eddy Merckx.
Together through 2032. 🤝 @TamauPogi UAE Team Emirates-XRG is proud to announce that Tadej Pogačar has extended his contract with the team through the end of the 2032 season.“From the beginning, this team has felt like home to me. We’ve grown together over the years and… pic.twitter.com/swZZJgFFdbSeptember 5, 2026
James Moultrie is a gold-standard NCTJ journalist who joined Cyclingnews as a News Writer in 2023 after originally contributing as a freelancer for eight months, during which time he also wrote for Eurosport, Rouleur and Cycling Weekly. Prior to joining the team he reported on races such as Paris-Roubaix and the Giro d’Italia Donne for Eurosport and has interviewed some of the sport’s top riders in Chloé Dygert, Lizzie Deignan and Wout van Aert. Outside of cycling, he spends the majority of his time watching other sports – rugby, football, cricket, and American Football to name a few.
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