Five-time Tour de France champion Tadej Pogacar says he is “just happy to be alive”, two months after suffering three fractured vertebrae in a crash.
The 28-year-old Slovenian was ruled out for the season after crashing during the Vuelta a Espana in August.
Pogacar required surgery on a broken collarbone and was initially diagnosed with a fracture in his neck, but further scans in his home country revealed more 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 happy I didn’t do the European Championships, which had been my initial goal. When I saw I had three broken vertebrae? I’m just happy to be alive actually, or just to be standing.”
Pogacar also suffered concussion during the crash, which left him struggling with dizziness, nausea and poor co-ordination in the weeks afterwards.
He said the extent of the concussion meant he was unable to shower by himself.
“I had to be showered with the help of the team doctor. I could not shower. I was getting dizzy as soon as I stood or when I put my head down,” Pogacar added.
“I was just completely out of it and it was so tough.”
When he came off his bike, Pogacar was aiming to complete the set of Grand Tour titles by adding the Vuelta to his single Giro d’Italia victory and five Tour de France wins.
His injuries meant he was unable to defend his rainbow jersey at the World Championships in Montreal last month.
Pogacar said the first few weeks of recovery were difficult and he was “mentally not OK” and “not a fun person to be around”.
He said his mood improved once he resumed rehabilitation and indoor training.
“When I started to get on the home trainer, to go to physio every day, then I started to feel better, also in the head. But it was a day-to-day fight,” he said.
“I don’t have discomfort any more. I have to be careful not to crash on the bike, or do some heavy lifting with my left arm or with my neck. But I can do basically everything normal now.”
Pogacar’s team UAE Team Emirates-XRG said the decision not to race again until 2027 would allow him to return to full health “without placing a timeline on his return to competition”.
Pogacar is aiming to return next year, but will do so with a more cautious mindset.
“If I crash again on the bike now, it can be very problematic. Everybody says that I was lucky, and you’re always lucky after a crash where you can walk away and you’re fine,” said Pogacar.
“You see it’s pretty serious and not to joke around. It’s a bit scary, to be honest, to think about it.”