Home > News

Liège-Bastogne-Liège champion Pogačar won’t defend title on Sunday after partner’s mother passes away

Wout Van Aert now the clear favourite for La Doyenne

Photo by: Sirotti

With just 24 hours before La Doyenne, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the reigning champion Tadej Pogačar announced that he won’t be defending his title, after a late-week family emergency.

The Slovenian two-time Tour de France titlist’s partner Urška Žigart, a rider on the BikeExchange-Jayco squad, suffered the loss of her mother due to cancer. His UAE-Emirates team initially planned to bring him to Belgium from Slovenia on Saturday. Žigart was also supposed to race the women’s Liège-Bastogne-Liège on Sunday.

Tadej Pogačar had a ripping start to the season, winning his first three contests, the UAE Tour, Strade Bianche and Tirreno-Adriatico. Since then in the Spring Classics season, the podium has eluded him. His next scheduled race is the Tour of Slovenia in June, but he’ll surely compete in May. It’s unknown when Urška Žigart will return to action.

You can watch the men’s and women’s Liège-Bastogne-Liège races at FloBikes.