Tour de France Champ Pogačar Pulls Out of Paris 2024

Tour de France champion Tadej Pogačar has cited the Slovenian Olympic Committee’s (OKS) decision not to select his girlfriend, Urška Žigart as a factor in his withdrawal from the Paris 2024 Olympics. Despite winning his third Tour de France title on Sunday, Pogačar announced his withdrawal due to “extreme fatigue,” according to an OKS statement on Monday.

Before a criterium race in the Netherlands, Pogačar acknowledged that Žigart’s omission from the Olympic team influenced his decision, though he clarified it was not the sole reason. He expressed his belief that Žigart deserved a spot, highlighting her achievements as the double national champion in both road race and time trial. For the women’s road race on August 4, Slovenia selected Urška Pintar, 38 and Eugenia Bujak, 35.

Bujak, a six-time Slovenian champion, did not compete in this year’s national championships. Pintar, the 2023 national champion, finished second in the national event, trailing Žigart by 10 minutes and 47 seconds. Pogačar emphasized Žigart’s remarkable achievements, including being the only Slovenian female cyclist to achieve a top 10 finish in week-long World Tour races.

He noted her contributions which secured Slovenia two spots in the road race event. The Paris 2024 Games commence on Friday, and Pogačar was initially scheduled to compete in the road race on August 3. He plans to represent Slovenia in the World Championships in Zurich on September 29.

Only a few cyclists have achieved the triple crown of winning the Giro d’Italia, Tour de France, and World Championship in the same year. This elite group includes Belgium’s Eddy Merckx (1974), Ireland’s Stephen Roche (1987), and the Netherlands’ Annemiek van Vleuten (2022).