Pogacar skips Olympics because he wants to avoid another doomsday scenario: "I couldn't enjoy cycling anymore"

Tadej Pogacar is about to go into his summer hibernation. The winner of the Giro d'Italia, Tour de France, and several major spring races announced on Monday that he would skip the Paris Olympic Games but still made time on Tuesday for a Dutch criterium. The Slovenian was in Surhuisterveen in Friesland, where he spoke to NOS.

Pogacar flew on a private plane from his home in Monaco to Groningen Eelde Airport and was then transported to Friesland. Surhuisterveen is the only criterium he will participate in after winning the Tour, including six stages. "I've heard many good things about this race and am therefore looking forward to the audience along the sidelines."

Read more below the tweet.

So, no Olympic Games. Following his fiancée Urska Zigart, who was not selected by the Olympic committee and inadvertently caused a controversy. Various media suggested that this was one of the reasons why Pogacar also withdrew. "It didn't help. She totally deserved a spot... but well, now we're going on vacation together. But it's really primarily about fatigue and avoiding a slump similar to the one I fell into last year," Pogacar explained.

By 'last year', he refers to the World Championships in Glasgow, where he crossed the finish line third, exhausted like a "dead bird". "After the Tour, I continued my form, and after the World Championships, I could no longer enjoy cycling. I also had a very bad time trial at the World Championships a few days after the road race. I was completely worn out and felt bad for two months. I never want that again."

Pogacar mentally exhausted after Giro-Tour combo

Mentally drained from the Giro-Tour sequence, skipping the Olympics was Pogacar's only viable option. "If I had competed, I likely would've faced the same issues as last year. That could have jeopardized my preparation for the World Championships in September. I’m mentally exhausted and need some downtime," the Slovenian stated. "So, I’m looking forward to a beach vacation in August, my first in a long while."

His sights are now set on the World Road Cycling Championships in Zurich at the end of September, his primary focus for the remainder of the season. "I aim to win. I was in peak form during the Tour de France, and I intend to be in that same condition come late September. That will require some rest," Pogacar concluded.