“My form is very poor”: Pogačar opens up about his current condition

Tadej Pogačar finally attended the European Championship, but as a spectator. The Slovenian followed the men's Elite race live and, after several weeks of rumors about a possible early comeback, he explained for the first time how he really feels after his serious fall in La Vuelta.

"I've been riding outside for a week and now I know my form is very bad", Pogačar admitted after the race. A realization that ultimately took away his desire to attempt a comeback that, he admits, he did want just a few days earlier.

Pogacar admits that two weeks ago he did want to race the Europeans

Pogačar's absence closed a story that had taken several turns in recent days. His season had initially been considered over after the fall he suffered on August 29 in La Vuelta, where he fractured his left clavicle and also suffered a stable fracture of the C7 vertebra and a concussion.

However, his recovery progressed quickly. He first started pedaling on the trainer and, less than a month after the accident, Pogacar returned to road training. His presence on the preliminary list for Slovenia for the Europeans further fueled the possibility of a return much sooner than expected.

RECOMENDADO

Pogačar has already won on them and now they hit the market: new ENVE SES 6.7 Pro

Crash, attack and photo-finish victory: Evenepoel wins the European Championships

“That won’t happen”: UAE responds to Pogačar and rules out the European Championships

30.5-inch wheels go from experiment to real Schwalbe project

Charlie Aldridge wins the Lake Placid sprint as Luca Martin wraps up the XCO World Cup as champion

Sina Frei wins by millimetres in Lake Placid as Jenny Rissveds claims the XCO World Cup

The situation became even more complicated when it was revealed that Pogacar was trying to convince UAE Team Emirates-XRG to compete in the European Championship, a race particularly important for him as it was held in Slovenia and where he had to defend the continental title. Now the cyclist himself confirms that those desires to return were real.

"When you're in good shape, it's hard to watch the race knowing you could be there. But I've been riding outside for a week and now I know my form is very bad, so today I didn't feel like racing. A week or two ago, I really wanted to be here," he explained.

In other words, his perception changed when he was able to return to training with some normality and see what his level really was after several weeks of practically being inactive.

The final decision not to race was reportedly Pogačar's own

In those days, UAE was much more cautious than their rider. Mauro Gianetti even went on to publicly close the door on his participation in the Europeans, stating that it was still too early for a return and that the priority should remain his recovery.

But Uroš Murn, Slovenia's coach, has now provided an important nuance. Before the race, he confirmed that Pogačar had a "real desire" to compete in the Europeans and that his participation was still a possibility just a few days before the race.

According to Murn, the final decision to withdraw mainly came from the rider himself.

"I think it was the right decision for him. Although we miss him on the team, I believe he made the right choice," explained the coach, who described the withdrawal as a "more personal decision on his part."

Pogačar's presence also had another special reason. Luka Mezgec was competing in the last race of his professional career, and the UAE leader wanted to accompany one of the cyclists he considers important in his career.

"Luka has been an important part of my journey. When I was about fifteen, I was at what was perhaps the biggest victory of his career", he recalled about Mezgec's victory in the last stage of the 2014 Giro d'Italia, in Trieste.

Pogačar explained that since then he has considered him a reference and later a mentor within the Slovenian team. "I've learned a lot from him. He has had an incredible career. Many kids and young cyclists should aspire to have a career like his, as a sprinter, domestique, and team leader. Being here with him today is very nice. It's an honor."