'I've struggled with it because I felt like I was more under the watchful eye' – Urška Žigart opens up about handling attention and reaching potential with the belief of her team

Whether you're an avid fan of women's or men's cycling, Urška Žigart is undeniably one of the most recognisable figures in the sport, likely because she just had the best racing season of her career, or perhaps because her fiancé happens to be the best rider in the world.

Having really found her place with a transfer to AG Insurance-Soudal in 2025, the Slovenian is on a trajectory to reach the potential she always thought she possessed since she started racing internationally in 2015. But her career progression hasn't come without a "watchful eye," as she describes it, with more attention and scrutiny on her every move due to her relationship with Tadej Pogačar.

Often at the finish of the men's Tour de France's biggest stages, when she has a break from racing, Žigart says that while this added scrutiny has built up a thick skin, it hasn't been easy forging her own path in the sport with the attention that becoming modern cycling's power couple has brought.

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"I don't know how open I've been about it before, but I've struggled with [the attention] in the past because I felt like I'm more under the watchful eye because of it," she told Cyclingnews at AG Insurance-Soudal's 2026 team presentation in Brussels.

"A lot of people thought that it's easier for me, but I would say it was even harder because... maybe nobody would care about me if I was just another rider, but because of being Tadej's girlfriend, they were maybe checking the results or, yeah, just putting a bit more pressure on me from that point.

"But it helped shape me, and maybe now I'm not as worried about what the public thinks, because I've had to go through that before I had the results. So now, when I'm in the position that I have to get results, then I know I can handle it if it doesn't happen, and I'm maybe not that down about it, you know.

"So I've lived through the scrutiny before actually being in the position to have to be under scrutiny, if that makes sense. Now it's just easier, I would say."

Speaking about Pogačar and his support through those tougher times, Žigart's words echo those of her partner, with his understanding of the pressures of professional cycling playing a key role, but also recognising how they have really shaped each other since being together.

"He's one of the first people, and vice versa, that sees how hard we both work, at home, and training camps, trying to make this life work out," she said.

"It's not always easy, but I think in the tough moments, it really makes a difference that you know what the other person is going through.

"And as much as he's a jokester on the bike and everything, he's just a very mature person. I think I wouldn't be where I am without him; he always says the same thing. I'm just happy to have found a partner in life and also a partner in cycling."

'The legs, the power, it's always been there'

Perhaps with that resilience built up and a refresh after four years at Liv AlUla Jayco, Žigart has leapt to new heights in the last 12 months, starting at last season's Tour de Suisse, where she finished fifth overall behind top GC racers Marlen Reusser, Demi Vollering, Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney and Niamh Fisher-Black.

The best was yet to come, though, as while she missed out on either of the national titles at home in Slovenia for the first time since 2021, Žigart bounced back with the best Grand Tour result of her career. She finished ninth on GC at the Giro d'Italia Women in July, mainly thanks to a top pure climbing performance to Monte Nerone, where she came seventh after supporting that day's winner, her teammate Sarah Gigante.

But according to her, neither of these was the main highlight. That came in August at the Tour de Romandie, where two second places ended in her finishing second overall – the best WorldTour result of her career – where she really felt a shift.

"The race I most enjoyed was Romandie, but mostly because of my mindset. It was just the first race where I really arrived and I was like, 'Oh, I think I can do really well here', it was like my first show of real confidence," said Žigart.

"I really thought, 'OK, let's do this. I didn't train for nothing. I didn't just come here to be here,'. That's why I think I would pick it as the highlight, and also the teamwork behind it.

"It's really special when you see each and every girl commit to the plan to support you, and then you feel just this extra power of having to seal the deal in the end. OK, it didn't happen in the end, but at the same time, normally in the years before, I was being dropped because I went too slow. So there was a big difference in mentality in that race."

Žigart gives ample credit where it's due to the Belgian team for those performances, especially noting that it was more a case of unlocking what she knew was in the legs, rather than making several improvements to find a new peak. Perhaps all she needed was a bit of belief, but now she has it, from those around her and internally, the sky really is the limit.

"Definitely, from a results point of view, it was my best season. But I think it was also about me evolving as a rider, as a person in this team," she told Cyclingnews.

"They've shown how much they believe in me. I think the legs, the power, it's always been there. It's just, I think they found a way to push the right buttons to get it out of me at the races. Hopefully, if I continue on that projection, 2026 can be even better."

With that being said, it was obvious why Žigart decided to extend her contract until the end of 2027 at the rapidly improving Belgian team, which lit up both the Giro and Tour de France Femmes last year. It's safe to say she's found her place.

"The change of the team after spending four years in Jayco, I don't think only in cycling, but in every business, every company, after a while, you maybe get put in a box, in a bracket of what you can do, and what you can't do," she said.

"I think with changing the team, I could just rediscover myself. I saw new opportunities, and the other people saw new things in me. Now, if you repeat it enough times, it becomes true, and because people kept believing in this team and me, it started to happen. Looking back, it was definitely the right choice, and that's why I also decided to stay for another year."