A riding error at the Vuelta a Espana shows, even with the world champion, how quickly things can get dicey in the saddle. This is how you keep control in critical moments.
Everything looked like the usual script: On stage 6 of the Vuelta a Espana 2026, Tadej Pogacar attacked on the steep gravel climb of Puerto El Bartolo and seemed to be pulling away from the peloton unstoppably. But this time, not everything went smoothly. First, his rival Enric Mas surprisingly caught up with him, and then a real moment of shock followed on the rapid descent. In a tight corner combination, the world champion lost control, went off the road and had to take an involuntary detour into the green. How he mastered this moment and still secured the stage victory in the end provides valuable lessons for every cyclist.
According to reports from Cyclingnews and Radsport-News, several factors came together in Pogacar's moment of shock. After a hard ride in temperatures of up to 34 degrees and high humidity, the route went downhill on a narrow, uneven road. In addition, the asphalt on the descent had been newly laid, which changed the conditions compared to old route recordings. Pogacar had not ridden the descent himself beforehand, but had only relied on videos.
As Pogacar increased the pace while leading, he misjudged a corner. The rear wheel slipped, he went off the road and headed straight for an overgrown, stony patch of forest. Only through a quick reaction and outstanding bike handling did he avoid crashing: he kept the bike upright, braked in a controlled manner off-road, unclipped briefly from the pedals and pushed his bike the few metres back onto the asphalt. Despite the incident, he immediately caught up with Mas again and secured the victory in the final sprint.
What can recreational athletes take away from this scene for their own riding technique? When the bike unexpectedly loses grip or you miss the corner, split seconds often decide between a crash or a save. The most important rule is: keep calm and do not freeze.
In addition to the pure reaction at the moment of slipping, the race also shows how important route knowledge and proper nutrition are. Pogacar's team UAE Team Emirates-XRG confirmed after the race that the lack of an on-site route inspection and incorrect information over the radio contributed to the risky situation. Furthermore, according to Velo by Outside, the Slovenian complained at the finish that he had not received another water bottle from the race commissioners over the last 15 kilometres in extreme heat. Dehydration massively impairs concentration and increases the error rate on fast descents. Anyone who is tired and thirsty reacts more slowly and misjudges cornering lines. In the event of health problems or uncertainty after a near-crash, the ride should be interrupted in case of doubt and your own condition checked.
Your takeaway: Should you go off the road in a corner, focus your gaze on a safe run-off path, shift your weight to the rear and only brake with careful modulation.
This article was generated automatically with AI from the sources listed above and has not been editorially reviewed.