Why Tadej Pogačar Canceled His Isola 2000 Altitude Camp

Urška Žigart's Crash and Injuries

The crash occurred on Stage 2 of the Tour de Suisse Women on June 18, 2026, during the final kilometre of the stage in Locarno . Žigart lost control of her bike while navigating a speed bump (road hump) at high speed, hit the asphalt headfirst, and slid across the road . She was attended to immediately by race medical staff and taken to hospital.

Her team, AG Insurance-Soudal, confirmed in an official medical update that she sustained a fractured jaw and abrasions to her face, with no other injuries detected during hospital examinations . Some reports also noted that several teeth were knocked out . The CPA Women's union later called for a "substantial review" of road surfaces in race finales after the incident .

What Pogačar Said About His Disrupted Preparations and Form

Speaking after returning from the Tour de Suisse, Pogačar acknowledged the disruption caused by Žigart's crash, saying his final altitude camp was uncertain and that his family situation was taking priority . He told reporters: "I still need to decide. Now that Urška has to recover, our plans have been thrown into some disarray. The most important thing is that we can spend a bit of…"

On his form, however, Pogačar was notably confident. He said he is "stronger than ever" and that his shape has taken a clear step forward compared to this point last year . Despite the interrupted final build-up, he described feeling very good physically .

The Secret Personal Best at Sierra Nevada

During his May altitude training camp at Sierra Nevada, Pogačar revealed that he unofficially repeated a fast-known climb that he thought he'd never beat — and was "clearly faster than last year" . He stated: "I still remember thinking: wow, I don't think I'll ever be able to go faster. This year, at the end of the training camp, just for fun, I decided to give it another try. In the end, I was clearly faster than last year."

The exact climb and time were not publicly detailed in available sources, but the claim serves as his key benchmark that his fitness level is higher than in 2025 .