Pogacar's Worlds defence 'not realistic' says Slovenian team doctor

Tadej Pogačar’s (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) chances of defending his rainbow jersey at the World Championships are “not realistic” according to Slovenian national team doctor Krištof Knap, as the world champion continues his recovery from his crash at the Vuelta a España. 

Pogačar left the hospital in Barcelona on Tuesday after successfully undergoing surgery on his fractured collarbone, and is now back at home in Monaco where he will continue his recovery.

With the road race taking place in Montréal, Canada on September 27, Knap suggested that participating is not a realistic prospect for the two-time defending champion, and that recovery is the priority.

“It isn’t realistic, however much we might want it,” Knap told RTV SLO. “Ultimately, Tadej is only human, and he has to live with this body for the rest of his life. The most important thing is that he rehabilitates fully, without rushing the process.”

His Vuelta ended abruptly on stage 8, when he crashed in the red jersey with 32km remaining, suffering a concussion, a displaced left clavicle fracture, a stable C7 cervical fracture, and multiple abrasions. 

The collarbone injury required surgery, although doctors first had to wait until Pogačar had progressed sufficiently through concussion protocol before giving the green light for the operation.

Despite the severity of his injuries and the short time frame to the road race in Canada, members of Pogačar’s entourage, including his agent Alex Carera, have not entirely ruled out the Worlds.

Speaking on RMC’s Bartoli Time on Sunday, Mauro Gianetti was also not prepared to entirely rule it out, though admitted it was an unlikely goal.

“Yes, the timeframe is very short; he’s still in the hospital and hasn't had the surgery yet. Of course, recovering in time for the World Championships doesn't seem likely,” Gianetti said on Sunday. “Now isn't the time to make decisions based on emotion; we need to wait a few days.”