Pogacar To Have Surgery After Withdrawing From Liege-Bastogne-Liege Due To Crash

Isaac KwakyeApril 23, 2023

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Fans hoping to see an epic clash between Tadej Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel at Liege-Bastogne-Liege were disappointed on Sunday with news that Pogacar had suffered an early crash during the race and was given no option but to abandon. It also ruined Pogacar’s hopes of the Ardennes Triple having won Amstel Gold Race as well as La Fleche Wallonne already.

Slovenian superstar Tadej Pogacar was forced to abandon Liege-Bastogne-Liege on Sunday after a crash early in the race and will undergo surgery on a fractured wrist.

Pogacar came into the race bidding to become just the third man ever to win the Ardennes Triple having already won the Amstel Gold race and La Fleche Wallonne earlier in the season.

But he will have to put that quest to another year after suffering a crash with around 185km to go, in a race that saw rival Remco Evenepoel emerge victorious.

#LBL

❌ Suite à sa chute, @TamauPogi doit abandonner #LBL.

❌ @TamauPogi has to abandon #LBL following his crash.
— Liège-Bastogne-Liège (@LiegeBastogneL) April 23, 2023

It was confirmed later on during the race that Pogacar had suffered a wrist injury and was on his way to hospital to undergo scans.

Unfortunately @TamauPogi was involved in a crash and forced to abandon #LBL23 with a wrist injury. He is on the way to hospital where he will undergo scans.

Further updates to come… #WeAreUAE
— @UAE-TeamEmirates (@TeamEmiratesUAE) April 23, 2023

Then in a further update UAE Team Emirates confirmed that he had suffered a fractured wrist and would undergo surgery in Belgium.

Dr. Adrian Rotunno, the team’s medical director, said: “Tadej Pogacar suffered fractures to the left scaphoid and lunate bones. The scaphoid will require surgery which he will undergo this afternoon with a specialist hand surgeon here in Genk.”

Medical Update: Dr. Adrian Rotunno (Medical Director) : " @TamauPogi suffered fractures to the left scaphoid and lunate bones. The scaphoid will require surgery which he will undergo this afternoon with a specialist hand surgeon here in Genk." 🙏 #WeAreUAE
— @UAE-TeamEmirates (@TeamEmiratesUAE) April 23, 2023

Pogacar has been in stellar form this season and is the favourite to win the Tour de France.

Earlier in the day, Dutch superstar Demi Vollering created her own piece of history as she became just the second woman ever to win the Ardennes Triple.

Vollering was in a duo along with Elisa Longo Borhini coming into the final stages and after a short game of cat and mouse, the Dutchwoman sprinted away from her Italian rival to take the win.