"Even when I doubted myself..." - Urska Zigart on how Tadej Pogacar assisted with her self belief as a pro cyclist

Tadej Pogacar and Urska Zigart are often called 'cycling's power couple' but the amount of fans that come up to the World Champion during his regular training can at times become an issue for the duo. Zigart, in a media event hosted by AG Insurance - Soudal, has talked about dealing with the fame in public and how her fiancée helped her in her early years as a pro rider.

After beginning to race in the pro ranks back in 2015; she made the move to the women's World Tour in 2020. One year later the couple got engaged and over that time, Zigart was nowhere near the level she currently has in the peloton. Coming from a country without much tradition at the top of the sport as well, it was a hard journey for the now 29-year old.

“He was the first to see my hard work and believed in what I could do, even when I doubted myself,” the Slovenian rider said in an interview with Het Nieuwsblad. “Now that others also confirm it, Tadej says 'why don’t you listen when I say something?’”

Zigart aknowledges that her name will continue being attached to Pogacar and that she is more often recognized due to that: “What he does is almost impossible to beat. During races, people often shout ‘Pogacar’ at me," she joked. "I would rather they shout Urska, but I know those two will come together one day and that is ok.”

After the Tour de France last year, the Slovenian was seen sporting a jersey asking for privacy whilst training out on the road, not to take pictures of the World Champion. More recently, he was insulted by someone who had previously asked for a picture, something which he described in a Strava post.

The two train together often in the Monaco area, but this is also an issue in Spain where recently Pogacar began training accompanied by a motorbike for safety reasons. “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," she describes.

The fan behaviour sometimes becomes unsafe for the riders themselves, as recently shown by Jonas Vingegaard's training crash. "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.”

The Slovenian rider has begun her season in Spain already but will have a packed schedule later this year with Strade Bianche Donne, Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes, La Vuelta Femenina and the Giro Donne all to be raced. She also hopes to race the Tour de France Femmes as it will finish in Nice, close to home.

“The Giro and the Vuelta are already in my diary. I think those races will suit me," she stated. "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.”