Pogacar reveals three major goals for 2027 and clarifies what caused Vuelta crash

Speaking to Slovenian broadcaster RTV SLO at a charity golf event in Volčji Potok on Sunday, Pogačar offered the first clear indication of his plans for next season, having recently returned to training following his serious crash at the Vuelta a España.

"The goal for next year would obviously be the World Championships, combined with the Tour and the Vuelta," Pogačar said.

"Even though I'd rather ride the Giro, I'll have to tick off the Vuelta at some point too. I think that will be the goal for next year."

The Vuelta remains the only Grand Tour missing from Pogačar's palmarès, and he had hoped to change that this season before crashing out on stage 8. The accident left him with a fractured and dislocated left collarbone, a cervical vertebra fracture and a concussion, bringing an early end to his 2026 campaign.

As a result, the UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider was unable to defend his world title in Montreal or compete at the European Championships on home roads in Slovenia. He also missed Il Lombardia, ending his run of five consecutive victories at the Italian Monument.

Pogačar's proposed programme would see him attempt to win a record sixth Tour de France title in July before turning his attention to the World Championships in Haute-Savoie on August 29.

The mountainous 265km Worlds course around Sallanches, featuring approximately 5,700 metres of climbing, looks particularly well suited to his abilities.

The Vuelta begins just six days later, on September 4, and runs until September 26. That would leave little time to recover from the World Championships before tackling another three weeks of racing.

Pogačar has yet to decide which other races he will target in 2027.

One question concerns Paris-Roubaix, the only Monument still missing from his collection after he finally conquered Milan-Sanremo earlier this year, beating Tom Pidcock in a two-man sprint.

Whether the Slovenian will make another attempt at the cobbled Classic in 2027 remains to be seen, particularly with so much of his focus already directed towards the second half of the season.

Pogačar is expected to discuss his schedule with UAE Team Emirates-XRG management during a team gathering in Abu Dhabi next week.

"Most of our team is still finishing this season, but I've already finished my break between seasons," he explained.

Pogačar also spoke about his recovery from the crash that brought his season to a premature end, revealing that he had spent five weeks off the bike.

He confirmed that the accident was caused by a large rock on the road, dismissing speculation that camera equipment or another object had been responsible.

"It was a big rock. Everything else is fake news," he said.

The 28-year-old had initially hoped to recover in time for the European Championships in Slovenia and began physiotherapy and indoor training with that objective in mind.

However, concerns about the consequences of another crash ultimately convinced him not to return to competition.

Pogačar has since resumed regular training and revealed that he began preparing for 2027 last week, around a month earlier than in previous years.

While his competitive road season is over, he is still set to make an appearance before the end of 2026.

As announced on Saturday, Pogačar will return to action at the BeKing charity criterium in Monaco on November 29, alongside his partner Urška Žigart.

The event will mark his first appearance in a race since the Vuelta crash, although his next WorldTour outing will have to wait until 2027.

Despite his absence from the final months of the season, Pogačar will finish 2026 at the top of the UCI rankings for the sixth consecutive year, having won his fifth Tour de France as well as Milan-Sanremo, the Tour of Flanders, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Strade Bianche, the Tour de Romandie and the Tour de Suisse.