The rumour mill around Tadej Pogačar’s health has been spinning again this week, this time triggered by something as mundane as a start list. His name turned up among the pre-registered riders for the European Road Championships in Slovenia, barely a month after he abandoned the Vuelta a España with a broken collarbone, a cracked vertebra and a concussion. UAE Team Emirates-XRG wasted no time playing it down, but the Slovenian organisers have not quite closed the door.
The confusion started when journalists spotted Pogačar’s name on the entry list for the men’s elite road race, scheduled for 4 October between Ljubljana and Šenčur, with a finishing circuit built around repeated climbs of Možjanca. UAE moved fast to calm expectations, telling the Danish outlet Feltet that “this is most likely an old list” and that “there are no plans for him to ride any more races this year.” Journalist Daniel Friebe reported similar messaging from people close to the rider.
Inside the organising committee, though, the tone has been softer. Tomaž Poljanec, general secretary of the European Championships, told the Slovenian outlet Siol that “we all want him. This championship was organised with Tadej Pogačar in mind.” Asked directly whether the world champion would start, Poljanec avoided a firm answer either way, saying that “who will be among the eight is for the coach to decide,” and adding that he preferred to defer to medical experts rather than speculate himself. He went on to suggest he still expects Pogačar to be present in Slovenia in some capacity, even if his exact role remains unclear, leaving open the possibility of a non-competitive appearance, whether at the finish line or on a podium, rather than on the bike.
The injuries that ended Pogačar’s season are serious enough to explain the caution. He crashed on stage 8 of the Vuelta on 29 August, hitting debris on the road, and was diagnosed with a concussion, a displaced fracture of his left clavicle and a stable fracture of the C7 vertebra in his neck. He underwent clavicle surgery in Barcelona days later and only resumed light indoor training in the past couple of weeks. UAE has since confirmed he extended his contract through 2032, alongside confirmation that his 2026 season is finished.
For Slovenia, the stakes go beyond one rider. This will be the country’s first time hosting a major road cycling championship, and Pogačar’s home-soil title defence had been central to the promotion since he won gold in France last year with a solo attack of 75 kilometres, finishing ahead of Remco Evenepoel and Paul Seixas. Poljanec insisted the event stands on its own regardless of his participation: “his injury is a personal blow for us, but from an organisational point of view, everything remains the same.” He pointed to a national team still capable of competing for a strong result even without its biggest name.
The elite men’s field already includes Evenepoel, Kévin Vauquelin, Pavel Sivakov, Juan Ayuso, Iván Romeo, João Almeida, Mathias Vacek, Wout Poels, Toms Skujiņš, Giulio Pellizzari, Davide Piganzoli, Giovanni Aleotti, Ethan Hayter, Marco Brenner, Mads Pedersen, Søren Kragh Andersen, Felix Großschartner, Marc Hirschi and Jan Christen. Whether or not Pogačar joins them on the road, Slovenia is preparing for what organisers describe as the biggest cycling event the country has ever staged.
