Urška Žigart has managed to avoid having surgery after the crash on the run to the line on stage 2 of the Tour de Suisse last month, which left the AG Insurance-Soudal rider with a broken jaw.
The hard fall in the final kilometre of the second day of racing came as the lead group hit a bump in the road surface, which spurred CPA Women to call for a substantial review of the current SafeR operating model. It was also a crash that came as Žigart's season and form were on a strong roll with sixth overall at the Vuelta Femenina and eighth at the Giro d'Italia Women, which she secured despite having to fight back after an unnerving fall on the descent in the final stage.
The path back to that strong trajectory now appears to be quickly rebuilding, with Žigart already "back on the bike and progressing well", said her team in a statement on Instagram that was accompanied by a picture of her riding out on the road.
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"After further medical evaluation and follow-up examinations, we are pleased to confirm that surgery will not be required," said AG Insurance-Soudal in the post. "This allows Urška to continue her recovery in a more straightforward way.
"As a result, and under the close supervision of our medical team, Urška has now been able to gradually resume training."
It has been a challenging season of injuries for the team, with a number of key names out for extended periods with injuries, from a now returned Kim Le Court-Pienaar, who came back at the Tour de Suisse after fracturing her wrist at the Tour of Flanders, to Sarah Gigante who has been out since August after breaking her femur and then having to grapple with complications that meant recently undergoing another surgery.
With surgery an outcome that Žigart has managed to avoid, the team should have the rider who has delivered two Grand Tour top tens already this season back in the fray sooner than may have initially been anticipated.
That news comes at a time when the Tour de France Femmes is looming at the start of August; however, no timeline has been put on the 29-year-old's return to racing. The team, which she joined in 2025, has emphasised that it will not be rushing the process.
"Her return is being carefully managed with a step-by-step approach as she builds back towards her future goals," said AG Insurance-Soudal.
