Tadej Pogačar Injured in Vuelta Crash While Drinking

Tadej Pogačar was hospitalized following a crash during the Vuelta a España, where he sustained a concussion, a displaced fracture of his left collarbone, and a stable C7 cervical fracture. The incident occurred with approximately 40 kilometers remaining in stage 8, as he was drinking from a water bottle, leaving him with one hand on the handlebar.

UAE Emirates-XRG's sport manager, Joxean Fernández Matxín, noted that Pogačar's loss of control was likely due to having one hand occupied. Eyewitness Pavel Sivakov confirmed he saw Pogačar handling a bottle just before the crash, which was triggered by his front wheel hitting an unidentified object on the road.

Following the crash, Pogačar was transported to a hospital in Barcelona, where doctors decided to delay surgery on his collarbone for 24 hours due to the concussion. His exit from the race has significantly altered the competition, with Enric Mas now leading the standings. UAE teammates expressed their shock and determination to honor Pogačar by continuing to compete strongly.