Zigart 'on empty' as stage 3 solo attack falls short at Tour de Suisse Women

Urška Žigart (Team Jayco-AlUla) was so close to winning stage 3 of the Tour de Suisse Women on Monday. She attacked with 12.8km to go, but in the end, the Slovenian climber was passed by the peloton only 90 metres from the finish line at Ebnat-Kappel. 

The 26-year-old climber was on the hunt for her first victory in two seasons, the last coming on a stage at Setmana Ciclista Valenciana in 2021 where she launched a solo attack and rode across three categorised climbs for her first international victory. The third stage at Tour de Suisse also had a trio of categorised climbs, and this time she saved her attack for the final climb and 12.5km from an uphill finish.

Although disappointed, she was not disheartened by the late catch.

“Now I know what it feels like. You see it so many times on TV when the break gets caught by the line, and now I’m on the other side. The next time, I’m just going to push a bit harder,” Žigart said after the stage.

She had gone solo on banks of the second-category Rapperswilstrasse, quickly leaving her five breakaway companions behind. Žigart was 45 seconds ahead of the peloton at the top of the climb and had 10.6km to go, however, the wind conditions in the final weren’t in her favour.

“I was a bit bummed, there was headwind from the last climb and all the way to the finish, or maybe it felt like that because I was really empty. But it was a good try, and there’s always another chance,” she said.

Nonetheless, Žigart almost held off the sprinters like she had done on stage 4 of the 2021 Spanish race, but the peloton came closer and closer on the last kilometre this time, finally going around her with the finish line in sight. She was absorbed by the reduced bunch and Eleonora Gasparrini (UAE Team ADQ) took the win, Žigart rolling off the back of the pack in 25th.

“I just kept on pushing. The power was good, everything was good, but they came with speed, and because it was uphill, they just carried so much more momentum. I didn’t look back even once because I knew that it’s not going to help me mentally if I see them ten metres behind me. I just kept on pushing, and one time it will work out,” Žigart promised to keep attacking in the hunt for another breakaway victory.

The final day of Tour de Suisse Women takes is the toughest of the four days, with 1,915 metres of ascent on the roads outside Ebnat-Kappel. The 100.8km stage has three ascents of Schorüti during two-and-a-half 16.4km loops. It’s only 1,700 metres in length but with an average gradient over 7% and coming 11km from the line will make it another opportunity for Žigart.