Pogačar returns to road training to bid farewell to the rainbow jersey

Tadej Pogačar has just taken another important step in his recovery. Less than a month after the serious fall that ended his season at La Vuelta, the Slovenian has returned to training on the road and he did so on a particularly symbolic day as it was the last on which he could ride wearing the rainbow jersey.

Pogačar returns to the road less than a month after his fall at La Vuelta

On August 29, Tadej Pogačar fell during the eighth stage of La Vuelta a España. The accident caused him a displaced fracture of the left clavicle, in addition to other injuries that immediately ended his season and left him out of the World Championship in Montreal.

Two days later, Pogačar underwent successful surgery for the clavicle fracture and began a recovery process for which no public timelines were initially set.

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Just a few days ago, the first images of the Slovenian pedaling again on the trainer arrived. Now he has been able to take the next step.

Pogačar has shared on Instagram several images of his first road ride since the accident, accompanied by his partner Urška Žigart and cyclists Eddie Dunbar and Gladys Verhulst-Wild. The trainer gives way to the first kilometers outdoors, an evident sign that his recovery continues to progress.

His last ride with the rainbow jersey

Pogačar has returned to the road just one day before the men's Elite event of the World Championship in Montreal. It will be then when the Slovenian officially ceases to be the reigning world champion.

Therefore, unless he conquers it again in the future, this first ride after his injury will also have been his last training session dressed in rainbow.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Tadej Pogačar (@tadejpogacar)

UAE insists that he will not compete again until 2027

That Pogačar is already training on the road does not mean, at least officially, that he will bring forward his return to competition.

The Slovenian's season was considered over after the accident and UAE Team Emirates-XRG has reiterated this week that “there are no plans” for him to return to competition during 2026. The team made that clarification after his name unexpectedly appeared on the preliminary list of Slovenia for the European Championship. 

From UAE they have tried to close that possibility and, to this day, the only confirmed scenario remains that Pogačar continues to recover and returns to competition in 2027.

But the images of his return to the road, less than a month after the accident, will inevitably keep speculation about a possible early return alive for a few days.