Bizarre: Urska Zigart breaks her jaw again and joins Tadej Pogačar in the offseason

Urska Zigart, like her fiancé Tadej Pogačar, has been forced to end her season early. The Slovenian rider from AG Insurance-Soudal crashed heavily during stage 3 of the Faun Tour Femmes and broke her jaw. It was the second time in just a few months that Zigart has suffered the same injury, meaning her season is over.

Zigart had been riding strongly in the four-day stage race in France. She finished eighth on the opening day and fifth in stage 2, which meant she started the third stage as the race’s third-placed rider. However, things went badly wrong in that stage. Zigart crashed and abandoned almost immediately.

Through the team’s official channels it became clear why: “Medical examinations revealed a new fracture in her jaw. Due to the seriousness of the injury and the fact that this is a second fracture of the jaw, Urska’s season will normally come to an end. As a result, she will also miss the World Championships.”

Zigart had been selected to represent Slovenia and would have received support from her fiancé Tadej Pogačar in Montréal, Canada. Pogačar also ended his season after crashing in stage 8 of the Vuelta a España in August and suffering fractures to his collarbone and a neck vertebra. Now, the couple will be at home together while the World Championships take place.

Zigart briefly responded to the news through her own social media channels. “This was not the déjà vu I was expecting. Ever. Time to get my recipes from June back out,” the rider wrote, referring to the broken jaw she suffered in June at the Tour de Suisse.

In a race against time, Zigart prepared herself just in time for the Tour de France Femmes, with the goal of using the race to continue improving her condition. At the Faun Tour Femmes, it became clear that her form was excellent, until stage 3...

Whether Pogačar will still travel to Canada in September to support the Slovenian selection remains to be seen. Pogačar also rode the Tour de Suisse in June and immediately went to the hospital once his own stage had finished. The two will now also support each other during their recovery from their injuries.