Urska Zigart: "People warned me 'pay attention, Urska. Money and fame, it does something to a person.' But Tadej is still Tadej"
Cycling
Urska Zigart made a move towards AG Insurance - Soudal Team this winter and will be at the start of Strade Bianche Donne this weekend as an outsider. In a recent interview she talked about her relationship with men's World Champion Tadej Pogacar with some very interesting insight on their partnership.
"I haven't dared to watch Tadej's descents for a long time. I walk around the house a bit, or I clean the bathroom in the meantime, haha. I can still hear the TV from a distance, but I don't need to see it," Zigart jokes in an interview with Wielerevue. The Slovenian rider, fourth at last year's Giro dell'Emilia Donne, is evolving as a climber and much is due to her frequent training companion,
"When Tadej suddenly started to become successful, people warned me 'pay attention, Urska. Money and fame, it does something to a person.' But Tadej is still Tadej. That boy is so well-bred. Tadej and I both come from a small village in Slovenia. Monaco is actually a small community too. How you live there, you choose for yourself. Some people find it necessary to show off their luxurious lives. We don't. Tadej and I also just go to Carrefour in our tracksuits to do our shopping."
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However she says that the Tour de France champion has however made quite a big purchase, that he hasn't shown off. "He finally dared to reward himself with something he had been dreaming of for so long: a Porsche. He has a great passion for fast cars. Don't look for photos on Instagram, because he will never show off. Our family didn't even know." However in Monaco in particular, their car is unlikely to grab the attention of many.
"He is spontaneous and goes with the flow. Tadej is never stressed. I, on the other hand, am a perfectionist and get worried quickly. But we complement each other perfectly," she continues. "He calms me down and I help him plan the more serious things. We take good care of each other and we grant each other everything."
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The duo have been engaged since 2021 and over the past years have enjoyed the extreme success that could hardly be compared to any other cycling couple in the history of the sport. The 28-year old shares a story of when they were younger that convinced her to share her life with Pogacar.
"I was once angry with Tadej. I remember my mother getting really mad at me. I thought: what is this? I'm the one who should be angry. My mother said: 'Urska, don't you see how that boy looks at you? Don't you see how much he loves you? He's the best thing that could have happened to you.' I had to make it up to him as soon as possible."
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Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- big rival … ridiculous.Ketterechts07-11-2026
- It would be great if the World Champion's jersey could be rotated among McNulty, Simmons, and Jorgenson. They threaded the needle perfectly. If each hadn't done exactly what he did, exactly when he did it, the race would have gone to one of the more heralded superstars. That said, how nice that this humble and hardworking guy gets his moment in the sun.
MarkFour07-11-2026 - This is a really interesting idea, which, if well prepared could even be very successful. Very little money needs to be involved for a first season and any success could lead to rapid interest from sponsors.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Hmmm, you seem to have a very convenient black and white view of things. Perhaps you haven’t been around much to discover how complex problems can become over time with people who know how to control, manipulate (or worse) others so gradually or subtly that you arrive at an irresolvable situation before you realise. This is how many inconveniences get introduced to the young, naïve, passionate or “desperate”, knowing they are not armed, protected or strong enough to defend themselves once it’s too late. Why do you think omerta culture is so widespread, why do you think so many people continue to go through so many awful things in life that others can’t understand anyone getting into? Life may be far more jolly for you but you would do well to understand (or reflect more on) the real world to refrain from being so quick to criticise those in a hard spot that may have genuine reason for speaking out.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Seriously do you think when somebody gets into a serious accident, the ambulance is called by the hurt person?🤦 there is always a buddy system in place for a risky job. police , firefighters etc so that if someone gets hurt, the other call that in.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I get the point totally. We live in the snowflake society where some riders forget they are getting paid to ride and get results. When they have a few issues they try to look outside of the real issue instead of themselves. It odd so many of the team are making no complaints and getting on with their job. If you do not like what you do find another job simples. Tough love as my mum would say.paultryan200207-11-2026
- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
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