Tadej Pogačar Ends Season and Extends UAE Contract to 2032

Tadej Pogačar’s attempt to complete a cycling Grand Tour treble ended with a crash, rehabilitation and a decision to close his season. The Slovenian also extended his contract with UAE Team Emirates-XRG for two more years, keeping him with the team through 2032.

Pogačar said the season had not ended as he wanted, but that recovery now came first. “Now, the most important thing is to recover properly and give my body the time it needs,” he said in a statement issued by his team. He added that he would support his teammates from home and aim to return next year.

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Of course, this is not the way I wanted my season to end. Right now, the most important thing is to recover properly and give my body the time it needs.

The team’s medical director concluded that rushing back to competition would offer no benefit while Pogačar continues his rehabilitation. He underwent surgery on his left clavicle on Monday, two days after falling during the Vuelta’s eighth stage. The team said he had also suffered a concussion and two fractures, and Pogačar posted a hospital photograph showing him wearing a neck brace.

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I still have a lot I want to achieve in this sport, and I believe this is the right place to do it.

The decision means he will not defend the championship titles he won in 2024 and 2025. “I still have a lot I want to achieve in this sport, and I believe this is the right place to do it,” Pogačar said, expressing gratitude for the team’s trust.

Marco Brenner won Stage 14 from Jaén to Sierra de La Pandera in a sprint ahead of Colombia’s Santiago Buitrago, with Spain’s Cristian Rodríguez third. The breakaway finished more than four minutes ahead of the favorites. Enric Mas strengthened his overall lead to 2:06 over Félix Gall, while Primož Roglič fell to third at 2:10 and Richard Carapaz remained fourth, more than four minutes behind.

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It is the day every young rider dreams of. My best day on a bike.