'She's a fighter' - Pogacar draws extra motivation after Zigart's Suisse crash

Žigart was taken the hospital after sustaining a broken jaw in the crash in the finale in Locarno, and Pogačar said that the AG Insurance-Soudal rider was due to be released from hospital on Friday.

Stages of the men’s and women’s editions of the Tour de Suisse take place on the same day and in the same locations this year as part of an overhaul of the event, and Pogačar was thus able to visit Žigart in hospital after defending the yellow jersey in Locarno on Thursday afternoon.

“It’s all good,” Pogačar told CyclingPro.net ahead of stage 3 on Friday. “I visited Urska yesterday after the stage in the hospital. They kept her there overnight and today she’s released from hospital and she’s in good spirits also. 

“She’s really a fighter and she’s strong. She also gives me motivation for the next days because she wants me to bring this jersey home and to see her as soon as possible on Monday.”

UAE Team Emirates-XRG manager Mauro Gianetti said that Pogačar had been “shaken” by news of the crash before the men’s race got under way on Thursday, though he was able to reassure his rider by visiting Žigart in hospital and relaying news to him via the sports directors in the race. 

Despite the circumstances, Pogačar was again an aggressive presence on stage 2, having claimed the yellow jersey with a 69km solo effort on the opening day. Pogačar attacked with Mathias Vacek (Lidl-Trek) on the final climb on Thursday, and they came close to catching the breakaway in a breathless finale in Locarno.

“We had a plan to go for the stage, either with Jonny [Narváez] or Brandon [McNulty] or me, but the breakaway was so strong,” Pogačar said. “On the last climb we maybe we just missed a little bit for me and Jonny to arrive together to the top with Mathias Vacek. 

“If we arrive all three together at the top, we would have had more chance to catch the breakaway. But I must really say they were they were committing so well that they deserved the victory, chapeau. It was for sure was good to see the race as a fan yesterday.”

Pogačar will get to test his time trialling and climbing on the final weekend of the Tour de Suisse, but it remains to be seen if the world champion will be tempted onto the offensive again on the rugged stage 3 around Bad Ragaz.

“It’s a hard stage from the beginning and then it eases up in the last 50k,” Pogačar said. “I think we can follow the moves and then we will see how the breakaway is, because yesterday they made it to the finish and I think today also is a day for breakaway. 

“I think it’s a bit too hard for there to be a controlled bunch day for the sprint, but we will see. It’s not a lot up to us today. We need to stick together and do our best, stay safe.”