“I wasn’t feeling myself today... It was one of the toughest days on the bike" - Urska Zigart struck by illness at Tour de France Femmes
Cycling
Urska Zigart finished stage 3 of the Tour de France Femmes in 137th place, the second last rider on the road and 25:51 down on the day's winner Sigrid Ytterhus Haugset. Signalling something was not right, the rider has confirmed she has been struck by an illness.
The AG Insurance – Soudal rider is suffering from stomach problems, spoiling her rapid recovery to make the startline in the first instance, Zigart found herself in a battle to make the time cut in the final group on the course.
Battling to finish stage 3, Zigart's general classification ambitions are out the window as she finds herself in 90th position. A top ten finisher in the Vuelta Espana and Giro d'Italia, Zigart is riding her second Tour de France Femmes.
“I wasn’t feeling myself today. It was one of the toughest days on the bike," Zigart said in a team statement on Monday evening.
"Thanks to the girls in my group today. It’s incredible to see how everyone takes care of each other and understands the pain to be there and just trying to make it to the finish in time."
Zigart hopes to recover during time trial
With stage 4 bringing a 21 kilometer time trial, the Slovenian rider is hoping that an "easy" run at the discipline can help her recover and re-group for the latter stages of the Grand Tour.
She added: "Let’s hope this little stomach bug is gone after tomorrow, where I can take it “easy” on the TT tomorrow.”
It's been a rollercoaster few weeks following her horror crash at the Tour de Suisse in June, leaving her unconscious and with a broken jaw. However, the 29-year-old recovered more quickly than expected and lined up in Lausanne.
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Zigart on recovery from Tour de Suisse crash
“From the crash to the Tour de France!” Zigart wrote on Instagram. “I’m grateful to just be here and get to do this bike racing thing all over again in the first place and I will try to enjoy this crazy race.”
“The first days were a bit touch and go without having a clear idea of what the comeback path was going to be, but I had an angel looking out for me from above and I was really lucky with my recovery,” she explained.
“I joined the team at a training camp in Tignes and it was only up from there,” she said. “From the chefs chopping up my food, to LIMFA therapy ‘phone calls’ to speed up bone healing and a lot of good vibes in the mountains.”
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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