Five‑time Tour de France winner Tadej Pogacar says he is “just happy to be alive,” two months after a crash left him with three fractured vertebrae.
The 28‑year‑old Slovenian was ruled out for the season after his crash at the Vuelta a España in August.
He required surgery for a broken collarbone and was initially told he had a neck fracture, but additional scans in Slovenia uncovered further injuries.
“I knew I had a C7 fracture, but then we saw I had two more broken vertebrae, the T1 and T2,” Pogacar told The Athletic, external.
“At that moment I was relieved I hadn’t raced the European Championships, which had been my initial target. When I learned I had three broken vertebrae, I was simply happy to be alive, or even just to be standing,” he said.
The crash also caused a concussion, leaving him with dizziness, nausea and poor coordination for weeks afterward.
The concussion was so severe that he could not shower on his own.
“I had to be showered with the team doctor’s assistance. I couldn’t shower; I became dizzy as soon as I stood or lowered my head,” Pogacar added.
“I was completely out of it, and it was so tough,” he said.
At the time of the crash, Pogacar was aiming to complete a rare Grand Tour triple, adding the Vuelta to his single Giro d’Italia triumph and five Tour de France victories.
The injuries forced him to miss the World Championships in Montreal last month, where he would have defended his rainbow jersey.
He described the first weeks of recovery as difficult, saying he was “mentally not OK” and “not a fun person to be around.”
His mood improved after he began rehabilitation and indoor training.
“When I started using the home trainer and went to physiotherapy daily, I began to feel better, both physically and mentally. It was a day‑to‑day fight,” he said.
“I no longer have discomfort, but I must be careful not to crash on the bike or lift heavy objects with my left arm or neck. I can basically do everything normally now,” he said.
His team, UAE Team Emirates‑XRG, said the decision to sit out until 2027 would allow him to return to full health “without placing a timeline on his return to competition.”
Pogacar plans to return next year but will adopt a more cautious approach.
“If I crash again on the bike now, it could be very problematic. Everyone says I was lucky, and you’re always lucky after a crash where you can walk away fine,” he said.
“It’s pretty serious, and you can’t joke around. It’s a bit scary, to be honest, to think about it,” he added.
