Tadej Pogačar Is so Hungry to Race He’s Pressuring His Team for a Risky Early Comeback

Tadej Pogačar is so desperate to race his “home” European championships in Ljubljana on Sunday that he’s putting pressure on his team to allow it.

At least, that’s according to reports from El País.

The Spanish paper reported Monday that Pogačar called the medic who operated on his busted collarbone four weeks ago in Barcelona. The Spanish paper wrote that the GOAT asked the surgeon Saturday for medical clearance to race the Euros this coming weekend, and was given the green light.

Pogačar is reportedly using that as backing for a conflict with his entourage at UAE Emirates-XRG, who are urging patience.

Pogačar broke his collarbone, a vertebra, and suffered a concussion when he crashed at 60kph last month at the Vuelta a España. It was a brutal fall that supposedly ended his season.

As Pogačar said at the time in a team statement, “This isn’t the way I wanted my season to finish. But right now, the most important thing is to recover properly and give my body the time it needs.”

If team brass buckles to Pogačar’s supposed wish to return, the 28-year-old will make a risky early comeback from his savage crash this very Sunday.

UAE Emirates-XRG told Velo on Tuesday morning that the reports out of Spanish media are “not true.”

A home European champs and a Lombardia record

Per El País, Pogačar has pulled a 180 from his previous acceptance that his season was over.

After missing the chance to defend his world title and being forced to watch his domestique Brandon McNulty win the rainbow bands, Pogačar is hungry to return to reimpose his rule over the peloton.

That’s contrary to his team’s ongoing reluctance to let him take any undue risk after such a hard crash.

But Pogačar has plenty of motivation to return to racing ASAP.

The European championships this weekend take place on his home soil. The course passes near his home town. He’s a national hero with home crowds to please. And he’s the defending European champion. His massive victory at last year’s race in the Ardéche is easily forgotten.

Pogačar’s home championship would be defizzed without him and his partner Urška Žigart, who’s also sidelined after she broke her jaw earlier this month.

Beyond that, the championship race against Remco Evenepoel (Paul Seixas confirmed he’s not starting) would serve as a test for Pogačar.

El País wrote he’s hungry to race Il Lombardia on October 10 to chase a record-breaking sixth victory in the falling leaves.

Pogačar back riding outdoors

El País’ reporting fuels a rumor that just keeps giving.

A mini storm of speculation blew up last week when Pogačar appeared on a provisional start list for Slovenia’s European champs.

At the time, UAE Emirates-XRG brushed it off.

“It’s probably an old list,” the team told Feltet. “Although he is back doing light indoor training, there are no plans for him to ride any more races this year.”

Since then, Pogačar has been bounding around looking chipper and race-ready.

He posted on Instagram on Saturday, sharing images from his first outdoor ride since La Vuelta, and his last day as world champion.

He looked fit and mobile as ever, and he’d not lost his sense of humor either.

The post includes a video of Pogačar comparing his fresh, palm-sized scar from collarbone surgery with his ride buddies, Eddie Dunbar and Zigart’s teammate, Gladys Verhulst-Wild.

Is it worth the risk?

UAE Emirates-XRG shut down the report from El País when Velo reached out for comment on Tuesday morning. “The article is not true,” wrote the team’s head of media.

Pogačar would be rolling the dice if he makes a comeback on Sunday.

He’s not a rider who shows up to roll around at the back of the bunch – he’ll be in his usual full superhero mode spraying attacks and railing descents.

El País reported that the surgeon told Pogačar on Saturday there’s no obstacle to him competing. But those healing fractures are presumably still fragile.

And while riders regularly return from broken collarbones within weeks, Pogačar would lose a valuable, rare opportunity to fully unplug and recharge for 2027 if he starts the hilly 196km champs.

But Pogi is Pogi.

He loves to race, and he’s got clear motivation to rush back to the bike and please his home crowds.

Or who knows? Maybe he just really dislikes his UAE Emirates-XRG trade team jersey.

He’ll be wearing it for the first time in two years next season if he doesn’t win the blue and white European top on Sunday.