Says Tadej Pogacar no to Olympic participation
Tadej Pogacar will not be competing in the road race at Paris 2024 on 3 August. The Slovenian has pulled out of competing to medal in the Olympic event. His team, Slovenia, made the announcement on Monday, citing “fatigue”. It’s no surprise that the cyclist is exhausted after his two outstanding performances. He won both the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France.
The news came just one day after his brilliant victory in the French race, his third in the Palmarès after victories in 2020 and 2021. Pogacar was unsure of his next move after finishing the Tour in Nice on Sunday. He had been included in the national team list, but was unsure if his body could withstand another high-level effort.
Unfortunately,” Slovenia’s Olympic cycling coach Uros Murn said in a statement, “Tadej Pogacar has cancelled his participation due to extreme fatigue. Pogacar has had a near-perfect season. He won both Giro and Tour stage races, a double not achieved since Marco Pantani in 1998. Now he can focus on resting and setting new high goals.
There are two options. The first is to try to become world champion. The world championships take place in October. Only two riders in history have won the Giro, the Tour and the world championships: Eddy Merckx and Stephen Roche. Pogacar has stated that he would like to wear the rainbow jersey, which is awarded to the champion and distinguishes him in races for a year.
The other goal is even more ambitious and has yet to be achieved by anyone: to win all three grand tours – the Giro, the Tour and the Vuelta a España. The Spanish race starts in August. It remains to be seen if he will have enough time to rest and face a three-week challenge.
Pogacar is also withdrawing from the Olympic competition after expressing his displeasure at his partner’s non-selection. The bronze medallist in the road race at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo was upset that his partner, Urska Zigart, had not been selected for the Slovenian women’s cycling team for the Games in Paris. Zigart is the reigning Slovenian champion, but she was not selected.
In a message posted on her Facebook account, she said she was “angry” and “speechless”. “I need a little rest after the Tour and I’m not sure what I’ll do next,” Pogacar said on Sunday. “And I want to relax, rest and spend some time with my girlfriend,” he added.
Pogacar will be replaced in the national team by Domen Novak. “The Slovenian team said, “Once again, Tadej, congratulations on your Tour de France victory! Pogacar won the bronze medal at Tokyo 2020 in his first Olympic attempt, on a tough course where many eyes were on him.
Being the favourite always makes it even more difficult to win. In Japan,Richard Carapaz, who will not be defending his title at Paris 2024 as he was not selected for Ecuador, was a surprise with a fierce attack with 5km to go. The Belgian Van Aert took the silver medal, just a few centimetres ahead of Pogacar.
