Tadej Pogacar will end his season prematurely after undergoing surgery on a fractured collarbone sustained in a crash at the Vuelta a Espana, he said on Saturday, with the injury ruling him out of this month’s world championships.

“Of course, this isn’t the way I wanted my season to finish. Right now, the most important thing is to recover properly and give my body the time it needs,” Pogacar said in a UAE Team Emirates-XRG statement.

The five-time Tour de France champion crashed out of the Vuelta last weekend and was taken to hospital after a heavy fall on stage eight. He also suffered a concussion and cervical fracture, along with multiple cuts and bruises.

Pogacar had been leading by a massive three minutes and 50 seconds a week into the 21-day race and was the overwhelming favourite for victory in his bid to complete a career clean sweep of the three Grand Tours.

In July, Pogacar joined an elite club of five-time Tour de France winners with Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain.

The 27-year-old was bidding to become only the fourth rider to complete a Tour-Vuelta double in the same season.

“It has been a season with many special moments and I’m proud of what we achieved together. Now I’ll focus on getting healthy, supporting the guys from home, and coming back next year ready for what’s ahead,” said Pogacar.

The Slovenian star had planned to target a record-equalling third world road race title in Montreal later this month before eyeing a sixth straight Giro di Lombardia victory in October. 

“Following his crash, there is absolutely no pressure for Tadej to return to racing this year. His health and recovery are the priority,” said UAE Emirates team principal Mauro Gianetti.

Medical director Adrian Rotunno said Pogacar was recovering well, but there was no benefit in rushing his return to racing.

“Tadej is progressing well following surgery and we are very satisfied with his recovery to this point,” he said.

“However, given the combination of his injuries… we have taken the decision, together with Tadej, that he will not return to competition this season.”

The team also announced that Pogacar had signed a contract extension through to the end of the 2032 season.

“From the beginning, this team has felt like home for me. We have grown together over the years and shared some incredible moments, so I’m very happy to extend my contract until 2032,” said Pogacar.

“There is still a lot I want to achieve in this sport and I believe this is the right place to do it.”