Urška Žigart is likely to miss the remainder of the 2026 season, including the UCI Road World Championships in Montréal, after suffering another fracture of her jaw in a crash at the Faun Tour de l’Ardèche.
AG Insurance-Soudal confirmed the injury after further medical examinations following Žigart’s crash on Stage 3. It is the second time in less than three months that the Slovenian has fractured her jaw, having sustained the same injury at the Tour de Suisse Women in June.
The team have not formally ended her season, but the combination of the new fracture and the fact that it is a repeated injury means a return before the end of 2026 is now considered unlikely.
“Given the nature of the injury and the fact that it concerns a repeated fracture, Urška’s 2026 season is likely to come to an early end,” AG Insurance-Soudal said.
“This would also mean she will miss the upcoming World Championships.
“Her focus will now fully shift towards her recovery. The team will closely monitor the healing process before making a definitive decision on the remainder of her season.”
Second jaw fracture follows Tour de Suisse crash
The latest injury comes less than three months after Žigart was taken to hospital following a crash at the Tour de Suisse Women on 18 June.
That accident happened in the final kilometre of Stage 2 into Locarno and left Žigart with a fractured jaw. Follow-up examinations eventually brought better news, with the 29-year-old cleared to avoid surgery and gradually resume training in early July.
She was able to return to racing during the summer and had rebuilt towards the final part of the season, making this latest fracture particularly badly timed.
Žigart had also started the Faun Tour de l’Ardèche well. She finished fifth on Stage 2 and moved into third place overall as AG Insurance-Soudal placed three riders inside the top seven.
That put her in contention for the general classification before her Stage 3 crash ended the race and led to another round of medical checks.
World Championships appearance now unlikely
A prolonged recovery would rule Žigart out of the 2026 UCI Road World Championships in Montréal, where the elite women’s road race takes place on 26 September.
The 180.4km course includes eight laps of the Mount Royal circuit and 2,570 metres of climbing, terrain that would have suited Žigart’s climbing strength and ability to handle a selective race.
Her likely absence removes one of Slovenia’s strongest options for a championship built around repeated climbing rather than a single decisive ascent.
There is currently no timetable for her return. AG Insurance-Soudal will instead allow the fracture to heal before deciding whether there is any realistic prospect of racing again this year.
Another interruption to a strong 2026 season
The two jaw fractures have disrupted what had otherwise been another strong season for Žigart.
She has continued to establish herself as one of AG Insurance-Soudal’s most dependable climbing and stage-race riders, capable of riding for her own results while also providing an important option alongside the team’s other leaders.
That made her return from the Tour de Suisse injury particularly significant. The first fracture had threatened to remove a substantial part of her summer programme, but avoiding surgery allowed her to rebuild more quickly than initially feared.
The situation is different this time. With the road season already entering its final weeks and the jaw fractured for a second time, there is little reason for either rider or team to rush another comeback.
For now, AG Insurance-Soudal have stopped short of confirming that Žigart’s season is officially over. The expectation, however, is that recovery will take priority and that her next race will not come until 2027.
