Tadej Pogačar has confirmed that the World Championships, Tour de France and Vuelta a España will be his primary targets for the 2027 cycling season, while finally explaining what led to his serious crash at this year’s Spanish Grand Tour.
The UAE Team Emirates-XRG star suffered a concussion and fractures to his collarbone and spine after crashing during stage eight of the Vuelta a España in August. The accident forced him to abandon the race while leading the general classification and ended his 2026 campaign prematurely.
Speaking at a charity golf event in Slovenia, the Slovenian rider dismissed speculation about the circumstances surrounding the incident, insisting that a large rock was responsible for his fall.
“It was a big rock, everything else is fake news,” Pogačar stated.
The reigning Tour de France champion has made considerable progress in his recovery and has resumed training both indoors and on the road. His immediate objective is to regain his full fitness before the start of the 2027 season, with his competitive return still to be confirmed.
“Last week I started the new season and now it’s a slow build-up for the future,” Pogačar told Slovenian national broadcaster RTVSlo.
Three Major Objectives for 2027
Pogačar has identified the World Championships, the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España as his principal ambitions for next year.
At the Tour de France, he will attempt to secure an unprecedented sixth overall title, further enhancing his already remarkable record in cycling’s most prestigious stage race.
The World Championships will also feature prominently in his plans, while the Vuelta remains an important target after his 2026 participation ended in disappointment.
Although Pogačar acknowledged that he would prefer to compete at the Giro d’Italia, he recognises that he still has unfinished business at the Spanish Grand Tour.
His ambition to return to the Vuelta reflects his determination to complete what he could not achieve this season.
Following his charity golf appearance, Pogačar is scheduled to travel to Abu Dhabi for sponsorship commitments and UAE Team Emirates-XRG’s annual cycling festival. The trip will also give him an opportunity to meet team management and discuss his programme for the coming year.
His provisional racing calendar is expected to be finalised ahead of the team’s December training camp and media presentation.
Before then, Pogačar could participate in the BeKing charity criterium in Monaco on November 29. The event is organised by professional cyclist Matteo Trentin and his wife, Claudia Morandini.
Why Pogačar Abandoned His European Championships Comeback
Pogačar had initially hoped to return to competition at the European Road Championships in Slovenia, particularly because the event was taking place on home soil.
However, the severity of his injuries meant that an early comeback would have carried considerable risks.
The Slovenian explained that he needed approximately five weeks for his shoulder to heal and for the dizziness and other lingering symptoms to subside.
During his rehabilitation, he began indoor cycling and physiotherapy with the European Championships in mind. The possibility of competing at the event provided extra motivation as he worked towards recovery.
Nevertheless, he eventually concluded that racing would be too dangerous, particularly with the possibility of suffering another crash before fully recovering.
Pogačar said another fall could have resulted in serious consequences, making it unreasonable to take the risk.
He has now returned to regular training and noted that his preparations began around a month earlier than in previous years.
There has also been speculation that he could open his 2027 campaign at the Tour Down Under in Australia. Pogačar made his WorldTour debut at the race in 2019, finishing 13th overall, but his participation remains unconfirmed until his schedule is announced.
Pogačar Ends 2026 as the World’s Top-Ranked Rider
Despite missing the World Championships, European Championships and Il Lombardia because of his injury, Pogačar finishes 2026 as cycling’s highest-ranked rider.
His season was outstanding before the Vuelta crash brought his campaign to an unexpected conclusion.
The Slovenian claimed victories in four of the five one-day races he entered, triumphing at Strade Bianche, Milan-San Remo, the Tour of Flanders and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. His only defeat in those events came at Paris-Roubaix, where Wout van Aert took the victory.
Pogačar also won the general classification at the Tour de Romandie, Tour de Suisse and Tour de France, underlining his dominance across both one-day and stage racing.
However, his Vuelta a España campaign ended on stage eight following the crash that caused his concussion and fractures and forced him to withdraw from the race.
With rehabilitation progressing and preparations for next season already underway, attention is now shifting towards his anticipated return in 2027.
The World Championships, Tour de France and Vuelta a España are expected to headline his programme as he seeks to build on another successful season and add further major victories to his career.
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