Luka Mezgec has maintained that Tadej Pogačar withdrew from the Paris 2024 Olympics solely due to the exclusion of his partner Urška Žigart from the Slovenian women’s team.
Despite winning the Slovenian national road race title by over ten minutes, Žigart was surprisingly omitted from the Olympic team in favour of Eugenia Bujak and Urška Pintar.
Pogačar’s immediate response to the news was a social media post saying “no words,” while his and Žigart’s agent Alex Carera claimed that the Slovenian selectors had “damaged cycling.”
Shortly after sealing overall victory at the Tour de France, Pogačar announced that he had opted against competing at the Paris Olympics, citing fatigue. Speaking at a post-Tour criterium in the Netherlands, Pogačar conceded that Žigart’s omission had also been a factor in his decision. “It's not the main reason, but for sure it didn't help,” he said.
Mezgec, who will line out in Saturday’s road race on a Slovenian team that includes Matej Mohorič, Domen Novak and Jan Tratnik, said that he believed Pogačar had pulled out purely because of Žigart’s exclusion.
The Jayco-Alula indicated his belief that Žigart was worthy of a place in Paris, but he suggested that the Slovenian federation should have selected her for the Games in any case in order to ensure Pogačar’s participation.
“As for the official reason that he is tired, I believe it is not the most realistic,” Mezgec told RTV Slovenija. “I know that even if he was as tired as he was on his deathbed, he would have come here if Urška were here, because he would not have been lying alone at home.
“If there was a 1% chance that he would want to stay at home for any reason, that percentage would be much smaller if Urška were here. Wherever Urška is, Tadej is too.
“It may sound nasty, but maybe we should have risked one place for Urška, even if she had not been the best. That’s the way it is, but even if she wasn't, they should have secured Tadej with this move, but they didn't. Unfortunately, the decision-makers did not foresee all scenarios.”
Pogačar’s UAE Team Emirates companion Domen Novak was called up to the Slovenian quartet as his replacement. Novak suggested that Pogačar had opted against the Olympics largely due to his exertions in completing the Giro-Tour double, as well as his stated aim of winning the World Championships in Zurich next month.
“I think his goal is to compete in the Worlds at the end of the season,” Novak said. “And if he wants to perform well there, he must also emphasise recovery and his family.”
In Pogačar’s absence, Mohorič is Slovenia’s most likely medal contender on Saturday. The Bahrain Victorious rider confirmed that he had attempted to persuade Pogačar to race in Paris.
“I tried to convince him, but I also understand his decision and logic,” Mohorič said. “Unfortunately, it is what it is.”
Get unlimited access to all of our coverage of the 2024 Olympic Games - including breaking news and analysis reported by our journalists on the ground from every event across road, mountain bike, track and BMX racing as it happens and more. Find out more.
