Thanks to his fiancée Urska, we now know Pogacar's weaknesses, how he deals with hatred, and why he races the way he does

Zigart is no longer surprised by the Slovenian's performances. “I see how much work he puts into training—something his competitors obviously do too—and I see up close how fast he rides and how good he feels when he leaves for a race. So those results don't surprise me, but you can't take anything for granted.”

Because Pogacar wins almost every race he participates in. Some cycling fans might describe this as boring. Zigart can understand that. “People want excitement from the moment they turn on the TV until the finish. Even for Tadej, I think it's more fun to win after an exciting sprint. You get more adrenaline than after a long solo ride.”

But it makes sense that Pogacar doesn't always do that. “He has to play his cards right. In the European Championships, he was alone in the final, while the Belgians had several riders. He broke away to anticipate their attacks. Otherwise, he would have had to catch up with someone five times, and then you would have blown yourself up. Attacking from afar was simply the smartest way,” says Zigart.

With his victories, Pogacar is closing in on Eddy Merckx. A comparison of supermen, although Zigart sees her friend very differently. “Tadej is the one who forgot to pay the electricity bill at home, which I still tease him about. To me, he's just Tadej, my friend. It would be weird for me to see him as Tadej, the world champion cyclist.”

The Slovenian is obviously happy that Pogacar had another great season. “Because he works really hard for it, but we're not really concerned with records or the idea of becoming a legend. Maybe, when we're on vacation after the season, we'll reflect on how special it all was,” she says, dismissing the Merckx comparison.

So, the greatest cyclist in the world who forgets to pay his energy bill... Does Zigart have anything else to tell us about his weaknesses? “I beat him every time at pool, and I'm also better at Scrabble, although he says that's because we play the English version. Languages aren't really his strong point. But anyway, to be fair, he's pretty good at a lot of things.”

In terms of discipline, Zigart is said to have taught Pogacar a lot. “Tadej has a lot of discipline, but only when it comes to things he likes to do, such as cycling. As soon as it's something he doesn't enjoy so much, like answering emails or dealing with the media, that discipline disappears pretty quickly. He lives by the principle: the less you have to do, the better,” the Slovenian admits.

It won't always be easy for Zigart herself, as she is often seen as ‘the fiancée of’. "I found that difficult at first," the cyclist admits. "I felt that people expected the same of me. As if, because I train with him and ride the same type of bike, I should automatically be just as good."

And that was difficult, of course. "But you quickly learn: Tadej is Tadej. And that it’s better to distance yourself from all the comments and analyses.” The couple talks about this subject regularly. “Because Tadej does the same with messages from haters. His down-to-earth attitude helps me, too.”

And so Pogacar, who appears so playful to the public, can also be very serious. “That even surprised me when we first met. He was eighteen and I was two years older. I was a bit skeptical at first, but he turned out to be much more mature than I had expected, exactly when it mattered.” Zigart praises Pogacar's maturity.

Because let's face it: maintaining a relationship between two top athletes is not easy on paper. “There are periods when it's tough, when we have to miss each other for a long time, like during the Tour,” Zigart knows. “But on the other hand, when we are together, we are together all day long. That's something that many couples with other jobs don't have.”

The couple even tries to coordinate their racing calendars. “So we can add a few extra days. From my first conversation with AG Insurance-Soudal, it was important for me to know the entire year's schedule, to know when Tadej and I could see each other.”

Zigart doesn't have to think long for an example, as she recently saw Pogacar adjust her. “Tre Valli Varesine (last Wednesday, ed.) wasn't in his schedule. Since I'm now riding in Italy, and he had promised the organizer last year, he changed his plans. And then he won that race too,” Zigart concludes with a laugh.