“Happy to Be Alive”: Five-Time Tour de France Champion Opens Up About Horrifying Crash

Tadej Pogačar has spent years making the impossible look routine on a bicycle. But his latest crash reminded him just how fragile even the strongest riders can be. Two months after the terrifying incident at the Vuelta a España, the Slovenian has revealed the frightening extent of his injuries. The accident happened on August 29, during Stage 8 of the Spanish Grand Tour. Wearing the leader’s red jersey, Pogačar hit an object on the road and went down at high speed, suffering a concussion and a fractured collarbone. Initially, doctors had identified a C7 fracture in his neck.