Updated September 16, 2026 08:17AM
The devastating crash that wiped Tadej Pogačar out of the Vuelta a España won’t change his and his team’s outlook on Paris-Roubaix.
That’s according to Mauro Gianetti, team principal at UAE Emirates-XRG.
Speaking to RAI on the show Radio Corsa, Gianetti said the cobblestone “Hell” – a race that’s stubbornly eluded Pogačar’s grasp – will remain a goal for the GOAT.
“We still have the same confidence in Tadej,” Gianetti said last week. “Roubaix may seem more risky than other races, but when you look at it, the worst crashes with the most serious consequences lately don’t happen there.
“They happen in races and situations like the one where Tadej crashed [at the Vuelta]. Situations where the speed is extremely high, and the whole peloton is packed very closely together,” Gianetti said.
Pogačar’s crash two-and-a-half weeks ago in Spain ended his season in brutal and blunt fashion.
The 27-year-old broke his collarbone, a verterbra, and he suffered a concussion.
‘Roubaix is a difficult race, but it’s not the only place where you can fall’
Gianetti suggested that the freak crash – Pogačar struck what appears to be a loose rock on the road – won’t influence his calendar decisions going forward.
After being thwarted by Mathieu van der Poel in 2025 and Wout van Aert in 2026, Pogi won’t give up on Roubaix until he’s taken the cobblestone trophy back to Monaco.
“High-speed crashes are more devastating than what might happen at Roubaix. If you crash on the pavé, you may be traveling at a lower speed,” Gianetti said. “Roubaix is a difficult race, but we’ve seen that it’s not the only place where you can fall.”
Gianetti continued that how a rider approaches a race influences their exposure to risk.
It’s a consideration that UAE might carry into the boardroom when they start sketching out Pogačar’s plan for 2027.
“We’ll have to think about the calendar, but we can’t think about avoiding falls,” Gianetti said.
“Rather, we must try to get to the race fresh, so that the riders have maximum concentration. That is the most important thing”
Pogačar on the comeback
Pogačar’s crash at La Vuelta felt like a glitch in the cycling universe.
A rider who seems so impervious to injury was left with damage severe enough to strike him out of title defenses at the road world championships, the European championships, and Il Lombardia.
But that’s not to say Pogačar doesn’t crash – he broke his wrist in Liège in 2023, and he’s wiped out in high-stakes situations at Strade Bianche, Milan-San Remo, the Tour de France, and in 2024, at Roubaix.
This one was different, Gianetti said.
“It was a serious crash. The displaced collarbone fracture required a very complex operation, in addition to the concussion,” he explained. “From there, it was clear that he would not be able to race again this year.”
Pogačar received successful surgery just two days after his fall.
His collarbone was pinned, and he was back home on the couch within 48 hours.
Gianetti told RAI that Pogačar could have come off a lot worse given the severity of his 60kph crash.
As he showed in typical Pogi fashion in a reel posted this week, he’s already back on the trainer and feeling chipper.
“First time back, collarbone strong, head strong, heart rate high, super happy. Let’s go!” Pogačar grinned in his Instagram post.
Roubaix and the Vuelta remain unclaimed
Gianetti told RAI that Pogačar and his entourage are confident that the crash and subsequent surgery shouldn’t have any longer-term impact. He should be able to run through his off-season preparations more or less unimpacted by any hangover of the injury.
The question now is – what happens in 2027?
Crashing out of the Vuelta made things complicated for Pogačar.
Only the Spanish tour and Paris-Roubaix remain unchecked in Pogačar’s quest to tick off every major race the calendar.
The Vuelta had looked to be a one-and-done in Pogačar’s first return to the race since his prodigious 2019 breakout this summer. He had a four-minute lead after only seven stages. He held his rivals on puppet strings.
And now he’s got to go back.
Likewise, Pogačar had looked poised to put an end to his Paris-Roubaix mission this spring. He pressured Van Aert all through the final but was schooled by the Belgian in the velorome sprint.
Pogačar is too stubborn to give up on Roubaix and La Vuelta – crashes or not. Those two, and the Olympic Games, are the last pieces left to secure a beyond-the-sport legacy.
Expect him to return to both as soon as next year.
Pogacar recently extended his contract with UAE Emirates-XRG through 2032 and so he’s not going anywhere for some time yet.
But at the age of 27 – he’ll be 28 next week – he’s not going to wait around to try to strike items from his to-do list. The rise of riders like Paul Seixas, his own teammate Isaac del Toro, and maybe even his 20-year-old compatriot Jakob Omrzel prove new rivals are never far away.
2027 for Pogačar: Roubaix-Tour-Vuelta-Worlds?
Gianetti said Pogačar and his team will take care to stitch together the perfect program for 2027.
“He will think about next season with great commitment,” Gianetti told RAI. “He wants to race, work hard and enjoy himself.”
Fortunately for them, preparing for the 2027 Vuelta a España could dovetail nicely with a likely return to the road worlds.
After being denied the chance to defend his stripes in Montréal, you can bet the house that he’ll want to snatch it back next year at the French “super worlds.”
The mountainous road race in Sallanches takes place one week before the Vuelta’s big start on September 4 as part of a revised calendar that accommodates the return of the multi-discipline “super worlds” format.
Before La Vuelta, Pogačar will inevitably race the Tour de France. A record-breaking sixth yellow jersey is on the line.
And that could mean a very selective calendar in spring.
This year proved that a stripped-back early-year program keeps Pogačar fresh to go beast mode all summer – including through one-and-a-half grand tours.
Expect Pogačar to follow a similar less-is-more start to 2027 as he did in 2026. Milan-San Remo might be the one omission after he finally unlocked the race on his sixth attempt this March.
After that, all roads might point toward “Hell.”