Tadej Pogačar has undergone successful surgery on his fractured left clavicle following the crash that ended his Vuelta a España.
UAE Team Emirates-XRG confirmed the latest update on Monday evening, two days after the Slovenian abandoned the Grand Tour on stage eight.
Pogačar had initially been unable to undergo the operation due to precautions relating to a concussion he sustained in the crash. Having since received medical clearance, he has now had surgery at Hospital Universitari Dexeus in Barcelona, Spain, and is expected to remain in hospital for monitoring.
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“This afternoon, Tadej underwent successful surgery on his left clavicle after receiving the all-clear to proceed with the operation,” an update from the team doctor read.
“The procedure went well and he will remain in hospital for post-operative monitoring for a few days.
“When ready, Tadej will travel home to begin his recovery and rehabilitation under the supervision of the team’s medical staff. We will continue to monitor his progress closely throughout the recovery process.”
Pogačar crashed with around 31km remaining on stage eight of the Vuelta, when his front wheel appeared to hit some debris or a rock on the road. Several other riders were caught up in the incident, including his UAE Team Emirates-XRG teammate Pavel Sivakov, Oscar Onley and Ben Tulett.
The world champion initially attempted to remount his bike but was unable to continue. He was treated at the roadside before being taken away by ambulance and transferred to hospital for further examination.
The full extent of Pogačar’s injuries was confirmed later that evening. Alongside the concussion and left clavicle fracture, he was diagnosed with a stable fracture of the C7 vertebra in his neck and multiple abrasions. The team said there had been no neurological damage or other major injuries.
The crash brought Pogačar’s Vuelta campaign to a sudden end while he was leading the general classification. He had won three of the opening eight stages and held an advantage of almost four minutes over Enric Mas.
It was the first time in Pogačar’s career that he had failed to finish a Grand Tour.
No timeframe has yet been given for his return to training or competition. His injuries, however, place his planned defence of the rainbow jersey at the UCI Road World Championships in Montreal on 27 September in serious doubt. A clavicle fracture typically takes between six and 12 weeks to heal, although recovery times vary.
Pogačar will begin his rehabilitation at home once he is discharged from hospital, with UAE Team Emirates-XRG expected to issue further updates as his recovery progresses.
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