Cyclist says not being with girlfriend played role in not competing in Olympics.

Slovenian cyclist Tadej Pogacar recently made the decision to withdraw from the Olympics, and he has now revealed that his girlfriend and fellow cyclist, Urska Zigart, being snubbed by Slovenia played a role in his choice. Pogacar, who had just clinched his third Tour de France title, cited "extreme fatigue" as the reason for his withdrawal. However, he did end up competing in a race in the Netherlands just a few days later.

It turns out that Zigart, who is currently the highest-ranked cyclist in Slovenia, was not selected to represent her country at the Olympics. This came as a surprise to many, as she had recently won the Slovenian national title by a whopping 10 minutes. Instead, the spots for the women's road race were given to Eugenia Bujak and Urska Pintar. Pogacar believes that Zigart deserved a spot on the team, noting her impressive achievements in the sport, including being the only female cyclist from Slovenia to place in the top 10 in week-long World Tour races.

During a reception to celebrate his Tour de France and Giro d'Italia wins, Pogacar expressed his disappointment in the decision to leave Zigart out of the Olympics. He also mentioned that Zigart's agent had accused the coach responsible for the decision of prioritizing personal interests over the well-being of the sport and the Olympic committee.

Zigart, on the other hand, was not surprised by the decision. In fact, she had received a text message from the national coach, Gorazd Penko, before the Tour of Switzerland, explaining that she would not be selected for the Olympics and citing his reasons for this decision. According to Zigart, the coach had already made up his mind about her exclusion from the team last year.

Pogacar was set to compete in the road race at the Olympics on August 3rd, but he has now decided to focus on his recovery and prioritize his health. At the previous Olympics in Tokyo, Pogacar had won a bronze medal in the road race, coming in behind gold medalist Richard Carapaz from Ecuador and silver medalist Wout van Aert from Belgium.

It is clear that Pogacar and Zigart are both dedicated and talented cyclists, and it is unfortunate that Zigart will not have the opportunity to showcase her skills on the Olympic stage. However, Pogacar's decision to withdraw from the Olympics shows his support for Zigart and his belief that she deserved a spot on the team. Hopefully, this situation will bring attention to the importance of fair and unbiased selection processes in sports.

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