The saga round Urška Žigart’s snub from the Slovenian Olympic street biking squad for Paris 2024 has continued, with agent Alex Carera stating that the nationwide coach “has broken biking” by not choosing their greatest rider.
Žigart is each the Slovenian nationwide time trial and street race champion, alongside being the highest-ranked rider. But she was not noted of the two-rider crew in favour of Eugenia Bujak and Urška Pintar, a call that left her fiancée Tadej Pogačar “So gutted” and with “no phrases”.
Carera, agent to each riders, posted his assertion on Tuesday, the day after Žigart wasn’t introduced on the crew, accusing the Slovenian coach of creating his choice based mostly on “unprofessional standards”.
“The Slovenian biking college is among the many greatest on the earth with many champions. Unfortunately, even yesterday we understood why girls’s biking in Slovenia will not be at that degree,” learn a social media post from Carera’s AEJ AllSports.
“Urška is the perfect athlete, street and time trial champion, however the coach selected with an unprofessional standards. Why? Better to ask him, however I’m not positive he’ll be capable of give a solution.
“I really feel sorry for the Slovenian followers as a result of on the subsequent Olympics, they will be unable to cheer for the perfect athletes. The coach has broken biking and the Olympic committee for private pursuits. Unacceptable.”
Selector Gorazd Penko did in truth reply when requested on Slovenian TV as reported by RTV SLO, justifying his selection to go away out the Liv AlUla Jayco rider as a result of Žigart “has by no means been among the many prime 30 cyclists in a one-day race” on the prime degree. However, that’s one thing she has managed at La Course by Le Tour de France in 2018 when she was twenty seventh.
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Penko defended the picks of Pintar and Bujak due to the previous’s outcomes from 2023 when she beat Žigart to the nationwide street title and was ranked larger whereas using for BTC City Ljubljana Zhiraf Ambedo, the crew the place Penko is a DS.
“I’ll record purely goal causes: final yr, a quota was awarded to the nationwide biking federations and Urška Pintar scored the best variety of factors, she was additionally ranked highest within the worldwide rankings,” mentioned Penko.
“Although we all know that she competes with a membership that does not have many alternatives for races and quite a lot of sources.”
Bujak was a prime performer on the World Championships in Glasgow in 2023, managing twelfth within the time trial gained by Chloe Dygert (USA), which was sufficient to safe her place forward of Žigart, who he did reward as a climber however did not fee as a one-day racer.
“If we take a broader take a look at the choice: Urška Žigart has by no means been among the many prime 30 cyclists in a one-day race at a world championship or a one-day WorldTour race,” he mentioned. “However, her high quality on longer climbs can’t be disputed, right here she has simple high quality.”
While Pogačar shared Carera’s put up with the straightforward phrases “So true, so true” to his Instagram, Žigart shared an extended message stating she will not be making an attempt to get herself onto the crew, solely wanting to precise her disagreement with the choice.
“Didn’t anticipate this to achieve the highs it did. I’ve come to phrases with the choice an extended whereas in the past. It will not be my intention to power participation in any respect. Especially, as a result of I do not suppose I need to race someplace the place they do not respect me and to be with individuals who solely put me down,” mentioned Žigart.
“But I’m allowed to precise my disagreement with being not noted of the choice and to level out the inexistence of precise goal standards within the choice course of.”
Žigart is presently racing on the Giro d’Italia Women which she mentioned her focus is now absolutely on, alongside that of the crew with Mavi García positioned sixth total amid the fourth stage.