Paris: Tour de France winner Tadej Pogacar has decided not to take part in the Olympic Games and has been withdrawn from the Slovenian squad, the team said in a surprise announcement on Monday. “Unfortunately, Tadej Pogacar will not be there as he has cancelled his participation due to extreme fatigue,” said Uros Murn, coach of the Slovenian Olympic team.
His place in the Paris Games will instead be taken by Domen Novak. In addition Pogacar, the Slovenians will also have to do without three-time Vuelta winner Primoz Roglic, who abandoned the Tour de France with an injury after a crash.
The 25-year-old Pogacar, who won bronze in Tokyo, would have been one of the top favourites for gold in the individual time trial on Saturday and in the road race a week later. His closest rival in the Tour de France, Jonas Vingegaard of Denmark, had already cancelled his participation in June. On Sunday, Pogacarbecame the first professional cyclist in 26 years to win the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia double. (DPA)
