Tadej Pogačar, 24, has confirmed that he will not race the Tour of Slovenia this month, meaning he will be starting the Tour de France next month with only two days of racing on his legs.

Pogačar sustained a fractured wrist in a dramatic crash involving a high-speed descent and a pothole at Liège-Bastogne-Liège in April. He underwent surgery with a hand and wrist specialist, which required a small screw to realign bone fragments. But he was back on rollers within days of the crash and is currently training with his team at altitude.

The Tour of Slovenia is a five day stage race, which Pogačar won last year and in 2021. This year the race runs from June 14-18, 2023 which would be an excellent tune-up for the Tour, starting just two weeks later.

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But Pogačar admitted that he may have gotten in his own way with the healing process. Reuters reported that the young rider said he had been a “bit stupid” and “disobeyed the doctor’s orders” by jumping back on the bike too early. But he also added that he was getting more mobility in his wrist.

Velo reported that the UAE Team Emirates performance chief, Jeroen Swart, said, “I don’t think Tadej’s training program has been jeopardised to any great extent. He was due to have a rest period and a break after Ardennes classics, so in terms of timing, it couldn’t have been better, if you can put it that way.”

To be safe, Pogačar may at least start the Tour de France in a soft arm brace, for added support. Over the next few weeks Pogačar will be working on out-of-the-saddle sprinting, and making sure that he’s good to go for the big dance. Setbacks aside, Pogačar won the 2020 and 2021 editions of the Tour de France, earning three different jerseys during each Tour. He’s clearly eager to see if he can get back on top.