"He usually blocks everything out, but not when it’s his girlfriend": UAE boss confirms Pogacar was visibly shaken after Urska Zigart's crash

Stage 2 of the Tour de Suisse 2026 was defined for Tadej Pogacar by a matter far more important than anything that happened on the road. Hours before the start, the UAE Team Emirates - XRG rider received worrying news about his partner, Urska Zigart, after a heavy crash in the women's version of Swiss WorldTour race.

That was how Mauro Gianetti, the team’s principal, described it, explaining that the information reached the Slovenian in the moments before the start of the stage.

"Unfortunately, just before the start, he received the bad news of Urska’s crash," Gianetti told Cycling Pro Net, acknowledging that the situation forced the team to step in to try to calm their leader.

The Swiss manager explained that he went personally to speak to Pogacar before the stage began. "I went to see Pogacar before the start to reassure him," he said.

Fortunately, the medical updates improved as the minutes passed. According to Gianetti, the crash had been very hard due to the speed at which it happened, although the consequences were not serious. "Luckily, it’s nothing serious. It was a spectacular crash because it happened at quite a speed, over 50 kilometres per hour."

Even so, the UAE director admitted that the emotional impact on the reigning world champion was clear. "We were able to calm him, but we can imagine it wasn’t easy for him."

Gianetti was especially explicit when describing Pogacar’s state of mind before the start. "Between the fast stage, the heat and everything else, he was not in a state to compete."

Once the stage finished, the plan was to accompany the rider to the hospital to visit Zigart: "Yes, of course. Right after the ceremony and the checks, we’ll go to the hospital," he said. "He’s ready; I’ll go with him to the hospital."

Throughout the stage, Pogacar was kept informed about his partner’s condition. "He was updated all day via earpiece on his partner’s status." Gianetti himself explained that he kept track of the situation while the race was underway: "Once the race started, I went back to the hospital and called the sports director to reassure him."

Despite the circumstances, the UAE boss highlighted Pogacar’s competitive attitude during the stage. "That’s good; he’s a professional. We saw that in the finale he still gave everything. Tadej was so far back that it was practically impossible to catch the riders up the road, but he still tried to the end."

For the manager, the Slovenian’s ride once again underlined his commitment. "Even in somewhat complicated moments, he is very professional. We will never be able to thank Tadej enough."

Asked about Pogacar’s ability to shut out external problems when he races, Gianetti offered a very personal reflection. "Normally, he manages to detach from everything else, but not from his girlfriend," he explans. "As you can imagine, for each person - girlfriend, wife, family - it’s different."

In fact, he acknowledged that he had sensed a different attitude from Pogacar than usual before the start. "I saw him a bit shaken before the start; it wasn’t the usual."

"Fortunately, everything is very stable. It’s true that at first, when she was left on the road, it wasn’t a pleasant sight, but fortunately, it’s nothing serious."

The Slovenian cyclist was hospitalized with a jaw fracture but other than that - escaped any further injuries, her team informed.