Urška Žigart to join AG Insurance-Soudal in 2025, reveals Patrick Lefevere

Urska Zigart

Patrick Lefevere has announced that Urška Žigart, the Slovenian road and time trial champion, will be racing for AG Insurance-Soudal next season. The revelation came during his column in Het Nieuwsblad. Žigart, who is currently with Liv AlUla Jayco, will make the switch in 2025, continuing her successful career in women’s cycling.

Žigart, aged 27, began her professional journey in 2020 with Alé BTC Ljubljana, before moving to BikeExchange in 2021, which is now known as Liv AlUla Jayco. She has been crowned national time trial champion four times and recently added the Slovenian road race title to her accolades. Her climbing abilities were on display earlier this year when she secured a ninth-place finish in the general classification at the Tour de Suisse.

Despite her impressive credentials, Žigart faced controversy after not being selected for the upcoming Paris Olympics. Both Urska and her fiancé, Tadej Pogačar, expressed their dissatisfaction with the decision made by the national coach, Gorazd Penko.

Today Speaking to Het Nieuwsblad, Lefevere shared, “Shall I tell you a secret? Pogačar’s fiancée will be riding for our women’s team next year. Pogačar himself will follow later.” He laughed, adding, “For clarity: Urška is coming, Tadej is not. Apparently, they don’t want to ride for the same team.”

According to Lefevere in the same interview, he mentioned that according to Gazzetta dello Sport, Pogačar is expected to extend his contract with UAE Team Emirates for a reported annual salary of €12 million. However, Lefevere made it clear that the Slovenian star will not be joining AG Insurance-Soudal.

Žigart’s move to AG Insurance-Soudal marks a new chapter in her career, as she continues to build on her successes in professional cycling. The team and her supporters will be keenly observing how she integrates into her new environment and what further achievements she will bring.