Tadej Pogacar reportedly pushing UAE for shock European Championships comeback

According to El País, the Slovenian wants to defend his European title on home roads in Ljubljana on October 4 and has stepped up his efforts to convince UAE that he is ready to race again.

It would represent a remarkable turnaround. Pogačar’s Vuelta came to an abrupt end on stage 8 when he crashed with 31 kilometres remaining and was forced to abandon the race.

The accident left him with a complex fracture of his left collarbone as well as a stable fracture to the C7 vertebra, alongside cuts and bruising. He subsequently underwent successful surgery on his collarbone in Barcelona before returning home to Monaco to continue his recovery.

UAE officially brought his season to an end at the beginning of September, saying the priority was to allow Pogačar to recover fully rather than work towards another race date. Pogačar himself said that it was not the way he had wanted his season to finish, but that giving his body enough time to recover was the most important thing.

That position appeared unchanged when Pogačar unexpectedly appeared on Slovenia’s preliminary selection for the European Championships.

His inclusion immediately triggered speculation that a comeback might be possible, but UAE played down the prospect. The team said it was “probably an old list” and confirmed that while Pogačar had resumed light indoor training, there were “no plans” for him to race again in 2026.

Less than a week later, however, that position now appears to have shifted, according to El País.

Pogačar returned to the road on Saturday, exactly four weeks after the crash that ended his Vuelta, having spent the intervening weeks recovering and training indoors.

He immediately gave fresh fuel to speculation over an early comeback. On Saturday he rode in the rainbow jersey, on the final day he was entitled to wear it after Brandon McNulty succeeded him as world champion in Montreal. A day later, he trained in his European champion’s jersey, with the championships in Ljubljana now just days away.

According to El País, Pogačar has also taken a more direct step towards a possible return. The Slovenian reportedly called Xavier Mir, the surgeon who operated on his collarbone in Barcelona, to ask for formal medical clearance to race. Mir is said to have told him that the recovery was progressing well and that there was no medical reason preventing him from competing.

That still leaves UAE with the final say. The team and Pogačar’s coach Javier Sola have continued to advocate patience, according to El País, amid concerns that bringing forward his return could carry unnecessary risk after an injury that had initially been expected to end his season.

The latest report suggests Pogačar is now trying to persuade the team to reconsider that position.

A home European Championships provides a particularly attractive opportunity for a return. Pogačar has not raced in Slovenia since winning the national championships three years ago and would arrive in Ljubljana as the defending European champion.

There could be another objective beyond Ljubljana. El País reports that Pogačar sees the European Championships as a possible test ahead of Il Lombardia on October 10.

He has won the Monument four years in succession and another victory would take him beyond Fausto Coppi’s run of four consecutive wins, giving him another major incentive to return before the end of the season.