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Tadej Pogačar dodged a bullet in his high-speed spill Saturday, but found himself in a “prickly situation” in the Strade Bianche post-crash fallout.
If the nasty cuts and scapes were not bad enough for the Slovenian superstar who blasted to a record third win, things were thornier than first believed in the aftermath of his potentially disastrous crash.
UAE Emirates-XRG officials confirmed to Velo that though Pogačar escaped without broken bones or serious injuries, his landing spot was less than ideal. His high-speed tumble ended on a prickly bush that left him covered in sticky thorns.
After returning to his Monaco home and doing a final post-race cleanup, Pogačar discovered “dozens and dozens” of pesky little spiky things embedded into his skin that was already shredded with deep gashes, cuts, and abrasions.
Despite the unplanned botanical encounter that helped to soften the landing, Pogačar remains on course for Milan-San Remo next weekend, officials said Wednesday.
Already back on the bike, no serious fallout
Pogačar may have taken one of the worst spills of his career, but it’s going to take more than a thorny spill to derail the Slovenian sensation’s ambitious spring classics campaign.
UAE officials confirmed to Velo that his post-crash prognosis is overwhelmingly positive considering how bad it could have been.
A thorough post-race checkup by team doctors revealed no serious injuries or broken bones, and doctors decided there was no need to go to a hospital for scans.
Also read: Niewiadoma, Kwiatkowski crash in nasty edition of Strade Bianche
Incredibly, he escaped the high-speed downhill crash with only the highly visible cuts and scrapes. No word yet on the status of his $300,000 Richard Mille watch.
More importantly, UAE officials also confirmed that Pogačar did not suffer a head injury. After a few days of R&R marked by post-crash aches and pains, he’s already back on the bike.
There are no altitude camps or special preparation for the season’s first monument at Milan-San Remo on March 22, and he resumed training Monday from his home base in Monaco.
Full speed ahead for the monuments
Insiders at UAE Emirates-XRG were holding their collective breath all weekend, fearing their franchise rider might have jeopardized not only his spring classics campaign, but even his Tour de France ambitions this summer.
In 2023, a spill at Liège-Bastogne-Liège left him with a wrist injury that haunted him all the way through his loss to Jonas Vingegaard at that year’s Tour.
Fortunately, Pogačar seems to have escape relatively unscathed, and his mapped-out racing calendar remains in place, officials confirmed to Velo.
That means his blockbuster showdowns with Mathieu van der Poel across the Flemish cobbles and later against Vingegaard at the Critérium du Dauphiné and the Tour are on track.
Also read: Crashes, XL distance overshadow Strade Bianche
One lingering question is whether the crash could have a psychological impact, especially with the breakneck descent off the Poggio looming at Milano-Sanremo.
The high-speed drop into Sanremo is often a full-throttle, on-the-rivet sprint down the narrow ribbon of tarmac. Of course, that’s very different from the bone-dry, dust-choked gravel chaos of Strade Bianche last weekend.
Ironically, it was the paved roads, not the sterrato, that proved most treacherous in Siena, taking down not just Pogačar but also Kasia Niewiadoma, Michal Kwiatkowski, and others.
Pogačar knows the Poggio well. He’s already raced it four times, and since he lives just down the road in Monaco, he can re-familiarize himself with the finale of La Classicissima whenever he wants.
Paris-Roubaix chatter goes quiet
Pogačar’s spectacular crash Saturday also put the damper on one of the biggest talking points of 2025 and chatter about a possible start a Paris-Roubaix has gone quiet.
The high-speed tumble may not have left any nagging injuries, but it’s poured cold water on the idea of Pogačar tackling the “Hell of the North” anytime soon.
Enthusiasm for a Roubaix start was already lukewarm inside the UAE bus, and after Saturday’s near-disaster, there’s even less interest for sending their star rider bouncing over the pavé anytime soon.
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Speaking to journalists at the finish line Saturday team boss Mauro Gianetti echoed those sentiments: “This race can be too dangerous, I told him again there is time to compete in the ‘Hell of the North,’ it’s better to wait and not to do it this year.”
For now, the focus remains firmly on Milano-Sanremo, Flanders, and beyond.
Now he just has to pick out those last stubborn thorns.
