Although he began his sporting career as a ski jumper, Primoz Roglic is now one of the most experienced riders in the peloton and has proven that he is still one of the best in 2024 by taking his fourth victory in the red jersey at the Vuelta a Espana. However, in the more than ten years that the Slovenian has spent in the professional peloton, the racing style has changed dramatically:
“In the past, the way we raced was mostly that we saved, saved, saved all the time and used the energy at the right moments or in the right places,” explains Roglic in conversation with Cycling News. “But these days, or especially in the races against him [Tadej Pogacar, Anm. d. Autors]every day is a day. So, yeah, it’s the first day, and it’s the first day, 100 kilometers from the finish or whatever. This is the day you can be in it or lose it.”
The challenge of remaining competitive in the era of long-distance solos and relentless attacks from Roglic’s aforementioned compatriot Pogacar doesn’t get any easier for the experienced Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe leader:
“For me it’s a challenge to follow the steps of the younger generation… to try to adapt to this type of racing style,” says Roglic. “It’s a completely different mindset, a completely different way of racing, the level itself. That’s quite a challenge, I think, for us older guys who are still trying to get good results.”
But that doesn’t mean Roglic doesn’t enjoy the challenge, even if he hasn’t yet achieved his ultimate goal: “Okay, you can always say ‘to win the Tour’ because I haven’t won it yet. I mean, it would be cool to add something to my palmares, but also, yes, without that we are all fine… the earth will rotate the same way,” concludes the Slovenian. “I started cycling when I was 23 years old and it was full of challenges to come.”
