‘It was a big stone, everything else is fake news’: Tour de France dominator is a month ahead of his winter training and has big plans.
(Photo: Gruber Images)
Published October 18, 2026 08:48AM
Tadej Pogačar cleared up something important Sunday when he spoke to the press at a charity golf event in Slovenia.
What caused him to crash at the Vuelta a España, really?
Was it a villainous rock that put a premature end to his season?
Or, as some conspiracy theorists believe, was it a bicycle timing transponder or a TV camera battery that was sitting like a landmine on the Valencian tarmac?
‘It was a big stone. Everything else is fake news,” Pogačar responded to the expectant media, including RTVE.Slo.
When that nagging issue was resolved Sunday, Pogačar outlined his ambitions for 2027.
There were zero surprises.
“The hope for next year are of course the world championships, combined with the Tour and the Vuelta,” Pogačar said from the event in Volčji Potok.
“Even if I would rather go to the Giro, I will have to check off the Vuelta at some point. So I think that will be the goal for next year,” Pogačar said.
2026 Vuelta a España crash leads to crowded 2027 summer
Pogačar’s devastating high-speed crash at the Vuelta a España didn’t only fracture his collarbone and vertebrae and leave him with a concussion.
Its impact ripples through to next year, and will leave the 28-year-old with an extra busy summer
The five-time Tour de France champion now has unfinished business with La Vuelta. It’s the one grand tour he’s not won, and he’s in a hurry to get it done, fast.
In 2028, the Tour de France is backed up by the L.A. Olympic Games, meaning the Spanish tour might be too much of a stretch.
The Vuelta a España would be the final installment of a high-stakes summer triptych for Pogačar next summer.
The chance at a record-breaking sixth yellow jersey at the Tour de France with UAE Emirates-XRG comes first.
The chance to reclaim his rainbow jersey from trade teammate Brandon McNulty at the extra-hilly world championships in Sallanches follows one month after that. Next year’s multi-format super worlds takes an earlier slot in the calendar than the traditional road world championships to best accommodate riders from so many disciplines.
Six days after the race for the stripes, Pogačar hopes to be restarting what a pesky stone stopped him from finishing at the Vuelta a España.
Pogačar didn’t outline his hopes for the start of the 2027 season when he spoke on Sunday.
After twice finishing second in the velodrome, it’s almost guaranteed that Paris-Roubaix will be high on his wishlist.
There’s also speculation that Pogačar will debut his season early at the Tour Down Under. He’s not raced in Australia since he finished fourth there in his rookie WorldTour season.
Pogačar back training one month early
Pogačar said Sunday that he and all his teammates and staff at UAE Emirates-XRG will convene in Abu Dhabi next week to brainstorm the new year and sketch out race schedules.
Pogi likely won’t be dropped by his teammates if they go out for any rides in the Emirates.
He revealed on Sunday he’s out of holiday mode and has been back in full training for a week – “which is a month earlier than in previous years.”
“Most of our team is still in this season, but I have basically already finished the break between two seasons,” Pogačar added. “Last week I started the new season, and now it’s a slow build-up for the future.”
Paul Seixas, Remco Evenepoel, Jonas Vingegaard, and Mathieu van der Poel will be hoping Pogačar gets tired one month earlier than normal, too.