Tour de France Champion Tadej Pogacar Withdraws
Tour de France champion Tadej Pogacar has revealed that the Slovenian federation’s decision not to select his fiancée, Urska Zigart, was a contributing factor behind his last-minute withdrawal from the Paris Olympics.
On Monday, the Slovenian Olympic Committee announced that Pogacar had pulled out of the Games due to “extreme fatigue.” This statement came less than 24 hours after Pogacar secured his third Tour title in Nice, and just days before the road race he was set to compete in on August 3.
Despite this, Pogacar participated in a criterium race on Tuesday evening. Before the race, he spoke to the media, expressing that Zigart’s exclusion from the Slovenian cycling team influenced his decision. Speaking to Dutch broadcaster NOS, as reported by the Guardian, he said: “It’s not the main reason, but for sure it didn’t help.”
Pogacar emphasized Zigart’s qualifications, stating, “I think she deserves a spot. She’s the double national champion in road race and time trial. She’s the only woman cyclist that ever achieved top 10 in week-long World Tour races. She did great in the last two years, winning points for Slovenia and, without her, they wouldn’t have two spots in the [Olympic] road race.”
He concluded, “It is what it is, and now we can go on vacation together.”
Zigart and Pogacar first met at a cycling training camp in Slovenia and now live together in Monaco. They announced their engagement in September 2021.
Pogacar voiced his frustration online when the Slovenian Olympic team was announced earlier this month, writing: “I am disgusted by the fact that Urska Zigart, a two-time national champion and the best Slovenian cyclist on the World Tour, has not been selected for the Olympic Games.”
Zigart had been expected to make the Olympics lineup following an impressive series of results this year, including a dominant victory in the national championships road race, where she finished 11 minutes ahead of second-place Urska Pintar, who was selected for the Slovenian team along with Eugenia Bujak.
According to the Guardian, Zigart said the selection decision had been made last year, and she received a message from national coach Gorazd Penko explaining his choice.
Pogacar was originally slated to ride in the men’s Olympic road race on August 3, aiming to improve on his bronze medal from the Tokyo Olympics. He is now likely to pursue a rare triple crown by adding the world road race title in Zurich on September 29 to his Giro and Tour titles.
