Pogacar pulls out of Summer Games

LJUBLJANA, Slovenia (AFP) — Tour de France winner Tadej Pogacar on Monday pulled out of the Paris Olympics citing “tiredness,” his Slovenia team announced.

“Unfortunately, Tadej Pogacar has canceled his participation because of a state of extreme fatigue,” Slovenian Olympic cycling coach Uros Murn said in a statement.

Pogacar won a third Tour de France title in Nice on Sunday. Victory also gave him the first Giro d’Italia-Tour de France double since Marco Pantani in 1998.

But the 25-year-old, a bronze medalist in the road race at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, had been angered by his girlfriend Urska Zigart not being selected for the Slovenian women’s cycling team for the Paris Games.

He said he was “angry” and “speechless” in a message posted on his Facebook account.

“I need a little rest after the Tour and I’m not sure what I’ll be doing next,” Pogacar said on Sunday.

“And I want to relax and rest and spend some time with my girlfriend.”

When asked about the Olympics on Sunday, he remained very evasive, preferring to mention his “dream” of one day wearing the rainbow jersey of world champion.

At the worlds in September in Zurich, the Slovenian is aiming for a triple of the world title, the Giro and Tour, only held by two men, Ireland’s Stephen Roche and Belgian Eddy Merckx.

Pogacar will be replaced on the national team by Domen Novak.

“Once again Tadej, congratulations for the Tour de France win!” Team Slovenia said.