Tadej Pogačar transferred to Barcelona hospital by ambulance as question marks linger over cause of crash and rest of season after Vuelta a España abandon

Tadej Pogačar has been transferred by ambulance to a hospital in Barcelona following his abandon of the Vuelta a España, with surgery on his injuries from his crash late on stage 8 delayed until he has recovered sufficiently from a concussion.

TV footage from late on Friday evening showed the former Vuelta leader leaving the hospital in Gandia – the nearest facility to where he crashed in southern Valencia and where Pogačar was initially treated – on a stretcher before being placed in an ambulance.

The 350km journey by road from the southern Valencia region to the capital of Catalunya, where Pogačar is expected to undergo surgery for a broken collarbone, typically takes around four hours.

The operation itself will need to be delayed, according to multiple media sources, because Pogačar suffered a concussion in the crash. He also sustained a fractured C7 vertebra, the lowest bone in the neck. Thankfully, the vertebra fracture is stable, Pogačar’s UAE team have reported, meaning there’s no risk of vertebra movement affecting the spinal cord.

The postponement of the operation raises even more questions about whether Pogačar will be able to return to racing before the end of the season, or if his year is now over.

Before crashing out of the Vuelta, the Slovenian was next due to race at the Road World Championships in Montreal, Canada. After that, he was set to head for the European Championships in Slovenia before pulling down the curtain on his year, as usual, at Il Lombardia – a race he has won for five consecutive years.

However, after such a serious crash and extensive injuries, it remains very unclear whether he will race again before the season ends.

Another large question mark hangs over the exact cause of Pogačar's crash, which took place in the middle of a large peloton. Judging from the available television footage, it did not appear to have been caused by a collision with another rider.

The team themselves did not blame anyone for the accident, describing it simply as a "race situation". Although there is speculation it may have been caused by the Vuelta leader riding over a small rock at the roadside and losing his balance, there is no definitive evidence. Until Pogačar himself provides an explanation, the exact cause remains uncertain.

The man himself posted a selfie to his Instagram story on Sunday morning. Soundtracked by Bee Gees' 'Stayin Alive', the photo shows Pogačar lying in his hospital bed wearing a soft neck brace with plasters on his face and hand wounds.

Meanwhile, the Vuelta itself continues with a new leader in Enric Mas (Movistar), who refused to wear the red jersey on the podium after stage 8 as a sign of respect for Pogačar. He leads with a minute's advantage over four-time Vuelta winner Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe).

Today's mammoth mountain stage 9, featuring more than 5,000 metres of climbing and a summit finish at the Alto de Aitana, should provide the first major sort-out of the remodelled GC.

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