Back to Spain
The Slovenian cyclist has gotten on the bike after his fall in the Tour de France, as he has shared on his social networks, and points to the Tour of Spain that begins on August 19
It has not been the easiest season for Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma), but the Slovenian cyclist does not lose his smile, as can be seen in the last image he has shared through his social networks. He has always displayed an above-average capacity for suffering and with the motivation of the Vuelta a España just around the corner he has gotten back on the bike.
On July 17, in the 15th stage of the Tour de France, he spoke with the team and they put their cards on the table. He had already suffered a lot on the bike -two crashes in two stages and a dislocated shoulder-, he had worked tirelessly for the new team leader, Jonas Vingegaard, and was essential in the team’s tactics to wear down the ‘untouchable’ Tadej Pogacar until it burst in the Granon. Roglic He attacked again and again until the UAE cyclist suffered a legendary bird and could not follow Vingegaard. Already with the Dane wearing the yellow jersey, with the victory in Paris lined up and with an imperial Van Aert as a luxury squire, Roglic got off the bike to start the recovery process with the Vuelta a España in mind.
The Slovenian has always had a special relationship with the Spanish round. He has participated three times and the results obtained are unbeatable: he has been awarded the winner’s red jersey three times, has achieved nine stage victories, has taken the green jersey twice and has left performances worthy of the greatest that have won the favor of the public. How can we forget his ride with Egan Bernal, when he jumped on the wheel of the Colombian in a mountain stage with 60 kilometers to go. Without special need, since Bernal was no longer a direct rival, he removed the label of ‘pancartero’ that was hung on him.
Back to Spain
The Slovenian has always had a special relationship. In three participations he has won the round three times and has won nine stages
In addition, the Vuelta a España has served him in the three editions that he has been awarded to vindicate himself after the blows suffered in other tests. In the 2019 Giro d’Italia he won two stages and finished third on the podium, but the feeling remained that he lost the pink for being stubborn with Vincenzo Nibali and leaving Richard Carapaz too loose.
In 2020 he lost the Tour de France in the final time trial, the one that lifted Tadej Pogacar to the skies. A day in which everything that could go wrong went wrong. From the decisions regarding the materials, such as the helmet, to his own legs. And Pogacar lived the other side of the coin. He returned to the Vuelta a Esaña and exacted his revenge on the Ecuadorian, without forgetting the invaluable help of Movistar.
Now he has thirteen days to reach Utrecht in the best conditions and aspire to his fourth consecutive title, a record feat that no one has achieved so far
And in 2021 he razed without giving any option to his rivals. He took the lead in the opening stage, a seven kilometer prologue. He only dropped the jersey to give rest to his team. Three more stages to the bag and an advantage of almost five minutes with the second on the podium, the Movistar cyclist Enric Mas.
Now he has thirteen days to reach Utrecht in the best conditions and aspire to his fourth consecutive title, a record feat that no one has achieved so far. Tony Rominger (1992, 1993 and 1994, Roberto Heras (2000, 2003 and 2004) and Alberto Contador (2008, 2012 and 2014) are the other three riders who have won the round three times. To win the jersey again red, he would be the first to do it four times.
It would be a great way to end 2022, in which he has three victories, the Itzulia time trial and a stage and the general classification of Paris-Nice, and his time in the Jumbo, since the latest rumors suggest that Roglic could sign for the Ineos Grenadiers.
complicated year
The Tour scare is not the only drawback that Primoz Roglic has suffered so far this season. In the last Itzulia, in which he flew in the initial time trial, he forced and ended up paying. He finished the race with a knee injury, which conditioned his presence in the Ardennes, Fleche and Liège-Bastogne-Liège classics.
It was the broker himself who gave an account of his problems. «I already had some problems before arriving in the Basque Country. Now we will have to do some additional checks because this problem with the muscle in the back of my knee has not improved this week. It certainly hasn’t been a quiet week. We need to know what it is to treat it in the best possible way and not have new problems. I need to rest. Since I have a lot of pain. The first thing I have to do before competing again is to feel good physically », he said at the time.
Roglic, however, did not want to make excuses for his performance on the Basque roads: “I simply did not have enough legs to follow the best. They were difficult days. I gave it my all throughout the week. As a team we achieved good results (the Slovenian won the initial time trial in Hondarribia and was the leader for five days) and as always I enjoyed racing here with many people cheering.”