Tadej Pogačar won't race Liège-Bastogne-Liège after family emergency
UAE Team Emirates will defend title with Brandon McNulty in Pogačar's place


The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Thank you for signing up to The Pick. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
Tadej Pogačar will not defend his Liège-Bastogne-Liège title on Sunday, after a family emergency forced him to return to Slovenia from Belgium.
The UAE-Team Emirates rider will be replaced in the lineup by Brandon McNulty, meaning there will be a different winner of La Doyenne this year.
In a tweet, he explained, “Sadly I won't be at the start of [Liège-Bastogne-Liège] tomorrow.”
“It's been a tough few days but I'd like to thank everybody for their understanding. A special thank you to [UAE Team Emirates] & especially to Mauro Gianetti and Team President Matar for their support in this situation."
Pogačar pulled out of a press conference scheduled for Friday after he flew home to Slovenia from Belgium to support his fiancée, and fellow cyclist, Urška Žigart after she went through a family emergency.
On Thursday, Žigart said on Instagram that her mother had died, and Pogačar is thought to have headed home to be with his fiancée and her family.
“Life is not fair sometimes. It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I share with you this news today. My mom was my best friend and the most important person in my life,” Žigart said on Instagram.
Pogačar won Liège last year in part of an incredible season which saw him win another Monument, Il Lombardia, as well as his second Tour de France. So far in 2022 he has won Strade Bianche and Tirreno-Adriatico, as well as impressing at the Tour of Flanders.
While he finished 12th at La Flèche Wallonne on Wednesday, he would have been expected to produce his best form for the next Monument in the calendar, the fourth of the year.
Pogačar would have headed out of Liège as one of the favourites for Sunday's race, with a supporting team of Marc Soler, George Bennett, Diego Ulissi, Marc Hirschi, Jan Polanc and Vegard Stake Laengen.
Despite the addition of McNulty, the team will likely now go all in for Hirschi, who came second in the 2020 edition. The Swiss rider finished in the top ten at the Amstel Gold Race a fortnight ago.
With no Primož Roglič either, with the Jumbo-Visma rider missing out to injury, there will be no repeat of the last two editions, which were both won by Slovenians. Matej Mohorič could continue the Balkan trend on Sunday, with the Bahrain-Victorious rider looking good at Paris-Roubaix last week.
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!

Adam is Cycling Weekly’s senior news and feature writer – his greatest love is road racing but as long as he is cycling on tarmac, he's happy. Before joining Cycling Weekly he spent two years writing for Procycling, where he interviewed riders and wrote about racing, speaking to people as varied as Demi Vollering to Philippe Gilbert. Before cycling took over his professional life, he covered ecclesiastical matters at the world’s largest Anglican newspaper and politics at Business Insider. Don't ask how that is related to cycling.
-
-
'They aren't just good, they're brilliant' - Meet Great Britain's junior super-talents
There’s a golden generation of women coming through the GB ranks
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Primož Roglič confirms he will leave Jumbo-Visma
Giro d'Italia champion does not reveal his destination for 2024 yet, though
By Adam Becket Published
-
In memoriam: Tadej Pogačar's white jersey domination
After 81 days in the young rider's jersey at Grand Tours, the Slovenian has grown up
By Adam Becket Published
-
‘I really like city street racing’ - Tadej Pogačar on the ‘enjoyable’ World Championships road race course
Slovenian two-time Tour de France winner took bronze behind rainbow jersey winner Mathieu van der Poel
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'All of a sudden I was on the ground and my shoe was broken' - Mathieu van der Poel on World Championships win
Dutchman slipped out on a bend in closing stages and said that adrenaline kept him going on the way to the road world title
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Glasgow World Championships 2023: Eight riders to watch in the elite men's road race
Remco Evenepoel gets set to defend the title he won in Wollongong, Australia last year
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Adam Yates says ‘less pressure’ key to Tour de France third
UAE Team Emirates co-leader says he still thinks Tadej Pogačar is the best rider in the world despite defeat by Jonas Vingegaard
By Vern Pitt Published
-
'I just cracked myself': Tadej Pogačar reflects on second consecutive Tour de France defeat
UAE Team Emirates rider delighted to feel good at the end of third week, and take second stage win, despite setbacks
By Adam Becket Published
-
'Go Jonas!' - A day at the Tour de France with Jonas Vingegaard's parents
Cycling Weekly joins Jonas Vingegaard's parents on the roadside in the Pyrenees to watch their son in action on stage five of the French Grand Tour
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Tadej Pogačar: ‘Today was one of the worst days of my life on the bike’
UAE Team Emirates leader loses more than five minutes on Tour de France queen stage
By Vern Pitt Published