“Nobody would care about me if I was just another rider” – Urska Zigart honest about scrutiny that comes with being Tadej Pogacar’s partner

Urska Zigart has acknowledged that her relationship with Tadej Pogacar has often placed her under a level of scrutiny few riders experience, admitting that the attention surrounding cycling’s most recognisable couple made it difficult at times to establish her own identity in the peloton.

Speaking recently to Cycling News during AG Insurance - Soudal Team's presentation in Brussels, the Slovenian reflected candidly on the way her connection to the world champion shaped the early years of her career.

“A lot of people thought that it's easier for me, but I would say it was even harder because maybe nobody would care about me if I was just another rider,” Zigart said. “But because of being Tadej's girlfriend, they were maybe checking the results or just putting a bit more pressure on me from that point.”

The comments echo reflections she has shared elsewhere in recent weeks about the extra attention that can accompany her relationship with Pogacar. Rather than avoiding the topic, Zigart admitted that the experience was difficult at times. “I don't know how open I've been about it before, but I've struggled with it in the past because I felt like I'm more under the watchful eye because of it,” she said.

According to Zigart, dealing with that scrutiny before producing her biggest results ultimately helped shape how she handles pressure today.

“But it helped shape me,” she explained. “Maybe now I'm not as worried about what the public thinks, because I've had to go through that before I had the results. So I've lived through the scrutiny before actually being in the position to have to be under scrutiny. Now it's just easier, I would say.”

The experience has also been easier to navigate thanks to the understanding she shares with Pogacar as fellow professional cyclists. “He's one of the first people that sees how hard we both work, at home and at training camps, trying to make this life work out,” Zigart said. "It's not always easy, but I think in the tough moments it really makes a difference that you know what the other person is going through.”

While the scrutiny surrounding her personal life has often drawn attention, Zigart’s performances over the past season have increasingly placed the focus on her racing.

After joining AG Insurance - Soudal in 2025, the Slovenian delivered the strongest campaign of her career, including fifth overall at the Tour de Suisse Women, ninth at the Giro d'Italia Women and second overall at the Tour de Romandie Féminin.

The latter in particular marked an important turning point in her own belief. “The race I most enjoyed was Romandie, mostly because of my mindset,” Zigart said. “It was the first race where I really arrived and thought, ‘OK, I can do really well here.’”

That growing confidence, she believes, stems partly from the environment she has found at the Belgian squad. “I think the legs, the power, it's always been there,” Zigart explained. “It's just that they found a way to push the right buttons to get it out of me at the races.”

The move from Liv AlUla Jayco to AG Insurance - Soudal gave her the opportunity to reset expectations and rediscover what she was capable of achieving. “After a while, you maybe get put in a box of what you can do and what you can't do,” she said. “With changing the team, I could rediscover myself. Other people saw new things in me.”

That renewed belief is also why Zigart recently committed her future to the Belgian squad through the end of the 2027 season. “Looking back, it was definitely the right choice,” she said. “Hopefully, if I continue on this projection, 2026 can be even better.”

While her relationship with Pogacar will always attract attention, Zigart’s recent results suggest the story of her career is increasingly being defined by performances of her own.