Pogacar prioritizes his family and leaves his final concentration before the Tour up in the air

Less than two weeks before the start of the 2026 Tour de France, Tadej Pogačar has decided to modify his preparation plans. The reigning Tour champion has left his last planned altitude training camp in Isola 2000 up in the air to stay with his partner, Urška Žigart, who is still recovering from the jaw fracture suffered during the women's Tour de Suisse.

Pogacar's final preparation for the Tour is on hold: he changes altitude training for being with Urška Žigart

After dominating the Tour de Suisse with authority and adding another prestigious victory before the Grande Boucle, the initial plan of the UAE Team Emirates-XRG leader was to travel directly to Isola 2000, in the French Alps, to complete a short stay at altitude with several teammates, including Isaac del Toro.

However, the Slovenian returned to his home in Monaco after finishing the race and, according to his team, the plans for this week are still not fully defined.

Urška Žigart's injury changes all the plans

Žigart's accident deeply affected Pogacar during the Tour de Suisse. The rider was already very affected when he learned the news shortly before starting one of the stages of the Swiss round and, after finishing the day, he went directly to the hospital to be with his partner.

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After the race, the Slovenian explained that the situation had forced him to rethink all his planning:

“I have changed many plans in the last two weeks. Now that Urška is recovering, her plans fell apart, my second plan also fell apart, and now we are on the third plan, and maybe in two days it will be the fourth”.

Pogacar made it clear what his priorities are at the moment:  “The most important thing is that we are together in the coming days and see how everything evolves”.

The concentration in Isola 2000 was conceived as a final altitude training load before the definitive move to Barcelona, where the Tour de France will start on July 4.

Sleeping and training at altitude is usually a regular part of Pogacar's preparation before the Grande Boucle, but the reality is that he arrives at the French event after showcasing an outstanding form in Switzerland, where he dominated the race with absolute superiority.

Moreover, Isola 2000 is relatively close to his residence in Monaco, so even staying at home he could continue to do demanding training in the mountains, although he would lose some of the physiological benefits associated with sleeping at higher altitudes.

Beyond the physical aspect, the decision also seems to respond to a personal issue. Professional cyclists spend a large part of the year away from home, and Pogacar has already acknowledged in previous seasons the mental strain of maintaining that level of constant demand.

This is not the first time the Slovenian has prioritized family circumstances over competition. In 2022, he withdrew from the Liège-Bastogne-Liège classic after the death of Žigart's mother.

As of today, nothing indicates that his participation or performance in the Tour de France is compromised. The big unknown is whether he will ultimately carry out those last days of altitude training or if he will opt for a more flexible preparation from Monaco before traveling to Barcelona to begin his assault on his fifth Tour de France.