Not Roglic or Van Aert, but Visma | Lease a Bike itself was the reason Tratnik left: "I started to get bored"

When Tratnik joined Visma | Lease a Bike from Bahrain Victorious after the 2022 season, no one could have predicted that he would go on to win a major classic. Like many riders, he flourished after donning the yellow-and-black jersey. In his first year, he mainly rode with and for Roglic, who had undoubtedly played a significant role in bringing his friend to the team.

However, a broken tibia, sustained during the reconnaissance of the opening time trial at the 2023 Giro d’Italia, meant he raced less than expected. Still, he played an important role as a domestique for Sepp Kuss, Jonas Vingegaard, and Roglic, all three of whom finished on the podium at the Vuelta a España. That winter, Tratnik made significant progress.

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In 2024, Tratnik was given a prominent role in the classics, usually in service of Wout van Aert. He finished second in the Tour of Murcia and third in the Clásica Jaén, showing great form right from the start. After a third-place finish in the Tour of Algarve — behind Remco Evenepoel and Daniel Felipe Martínez — the veteran entered the classics with superb legs and, after a late attack, claimed a surprise victory at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.

Tratnik continued to play a pivotal role in Visma’s highly successful spring campaign. That is, until his classics season was cut short by a crash at Dwars door Vlaanderen. Yes, that same crash that severely injured Van Aert also took its toll on Tratnik. After racing the Tour of Romandie, he went to the Giro d’Italia, where Visma | Lease a Bike’s team was decimated by COVID. Tratnik became a key figure in the team’s aggressive racing style during the final week. He also rode the Tour de France in support of Jonas Vingegaard.

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For fans, Tratnik’s move to Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe may have come as a surprise. "It was difficult to leave Visma | Lease a Bike, that’s for sure," Tratnik admitted, before explaining why he opted for a new project. "I had everything there, but I also started to get a bit bored. How should I put it? I was just riding my bike and training, but I’m someone who likes to think about how things can be improved. At Visma, the team was so on top of everything that I felt like all I did was ride my bike and race."

"When I talked to Ralph Denk (CEO, ed.) about what Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe wants to become, I saw an opportunity to play a role in the team’s growth myself," he continued. "That was a big reason for my move. I like helping others, and I already see the younger riders coming to me because of my experience. I enjoy that. On top of that, I’ll have opportunities to race for myself here, and I’ll be reunited with Primoz. All of those things combined..."

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Was Tratnik following Roglic’s lead? Not entirely, he clarified. "Primoz told me straight away to do what’s best for me. I should to be happy, that’s the most important thing. He didn’t call me begging me to join. This was my decision. When he left Visma, he didn’t ask me what he should do either. We’re adults and we understand how things work. We also know that work is one thing, and our friendship is separate from that. Sure, Primoz being here played a role, but percentage-wise it wasn't that big. Maybe 20 or 30 percent..."

Reflecting on their friendship, Tratnik said, "I think we met ten or twelve years ago. Primoz was just starting out in cycling, and I was living in Ljubljana like him. From there, we started hanging out, along with our girlfriends. We’ve always stayed friends and now live as neighbors in Monaco. We spend a lot of time together there as well."

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Riding for Roglic isn’t just about friendship for Tratnik. He firmly believes his friend still belongs among the best riders in the world at the age of 35. "Yes, I think he can compete with those guys. When I see how hard Primoz works and the power numbers he’s putting out, I believe in that. The most important thing is that Primoz and everyone else on the team do everything we can to be at our best. If you cross the finish line knowing you gave everything, you can be satisfied. From what I’ve seen and the climbing times I saw at the Vuelta, with good preparation and strong motivation, he can still compete with the best. If you don’t believe that, you might as well retire."

Good preparation... It's something Roglic has often struggled with in recent years, due to frequent crashes. "After so many setbacks, we need to appreciate how strong Primoz is. After the Tour, he could have said, ‘screw cycling,’ but he showed us that he has balls. He went to altitude training with a broken back, and he won the Vuelta. He seems to come back stronger after every crash, even though he’s constantly under a media microscope. He keeps pushing and proving himself. With a little luck and no crashes, he can still compete with the youngsters at 36."

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Visma | Lease a Bike tried to keep Tratnik but couldn’t convince him to stay. "Visma made me an offer, and honestly, I initially wanted to stay. But the offer didn’t match what Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe was offering. Also, I have more freedom here to share my experience. Leaving Visma wasn’t easy, but I’m happy I did, especially after Merijn Zeeman left Visma," he said, referring to the mastermind behind Visma’s success, who now works for the Dutch soccer club AZ Alkmaar.

Tratnik dismissed the idea that he left due to a lack of opportunities for him. "I’m 34 and haven’t ridden that many classics in my career at all. I’ve been a domestique for most of my career, so it's easier for me to accept it when they tell me that I can’t race for myself. But if we’re talking about opportunities, I get more of those here than at Visma. I’m starting the year as a leader at Bessèges, for example. Wout van Aert is the leader at Visma, he's a very strong rider, so it’s normal that he’s their number one. I’ve learned a lot at Visma, and everything there was perfectly organized. But I was missing the fire within myself."