Slovenian cycling star Tadej Pogacar has disclosed that a follow-up CT scan revealed three fractured vertebrae from his Vuelta a Espana crash, not the two injuries doctors initially diagnosed. The five-time Tour de France champion shared the details in an interview with The Athletic published Saturday, saying he is simply glad to be standing.
Pogacar knew about a C7 neck fracture and a broken collarbone right after the accident. Two weeks later, back in Slovenia, another scan showed the T1 and T2 vertebrae were also broken. Turns out the damage was more extensive than anyone realized at first.
“When I saw I had three broken vertebrae? I’m just happy to be alive, actually, or just to be standing,” he said. The 28-year-old had been targeting the European Championships before the discovery changed everything.
Concussion symptoms made the early weeks brutal. Dizziness, nausea, and poor coordination left him unable to shower without help from the team doctor. Standing up or lowering his head triggered severe vertigo. He was completely out of commission, for what it’s worth.
Surgery on the collarbone took one hour and 40 minutes. Waking from anesthesia, Pogacar found no humor in the doctor’s attempts at jokes. He was really depressed after the surgery, he admitted.
For the first two weeks, I was really mentally not OK. I was really down. I was not a fun person to be around. Those are his exact words on the mental toll.
Daily physiotherapy and sessions on a home trainer gradually lifted the fog. 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 now reports no discomfort and can handle most normal activities. Heavy lifting with the left arm or neck remains off limits. Another bike crash, though, could be very problematic given the stable but vulnerable neck fracture.
Everybody says that I was lucky, and you’re always lucky after a crash where you can walk away and you’re fine. You see it’s pretty serious and not to joke around. It’s a bit scary, to be honest, to think about it.
