Urska Zigart praises support of Pogacar: 'Tadej believed in me, even when I doubted myself'

Žigart’s move into a leadership role comes in a team that has built depth in the mountains. Speaking to Het Nieuwsblad, she pointed to the strength in numbers at AG Insurance Soudal, with Sarah Gigante and Ashleigh Moolman also on the roster, and stressed that leadership will depend on the day and the terrain.

“The Giro and the Vuelta are already in my diary. I think those races will suit me. We are going there with a strong team. No one is better than anyone else, we always look for what works best for the situation. Ashleigh is more explosive, while Sarah and I are better on long climbs.” 

Another goal for 2026 is Liège-Bastogne-Liège. “I am looking forward to racing here. In Belgium you really feel that people live for cycling. It is also the highlight for our sponsor to race here.”

In 2025, she produced her best results in the second half of the season, finishing ninth overall at the Giro, fifth at the Tour de Suisse, and second at the Tour de Romandie.

Those results are building her own profile in the peloton, but the 29-year-old Slovenian still races with an extra layer of attention. Much of it comes from outside her results, because she is the fiancée of Tadej Pogačar.

She is candid about how much he has meant to her development. “He was the first to see my hard work and believed in what I could do, even when I doubted myself,” Zigart said. And when others began to echo that belief, she added, “Now that others also confirm it, Tadej says: ‘Why don’t you listen when I say something?’”

That relationship also shapes how fans react to her. “What he does is almost impossible to beat. During races, people often shout ‘Pogačar’ at me. I would rather they shout Urska, but I know those two will come together one day and that is ok.”

Off the start lines, the attention can be more complicated. Riders increasingly deal with fans and cycling tourists who want a photo or a few meters in the slipstream, and it has pushed teams to think about safety. UAE Team Emirates-XRG recently introduced stricter measures around Pogačar's training, including having the world champion followed by a motorbike.

Žigart says she understands why. “Cycling is accessible, there is no other sport where you can get so close to your favourite athlete. And I also mean the negative sides, like in training. Sometimes it can be nice when someone politely asks to ride along for a bit, but some people behave dangerously on the road. They hold their phone in their hand or ride in the middle of the road. The team does its best to keep us safe on the road, for example with our adapted clothing and lights, but you cannot control something like that.”