Roglic needs time to recover after crashes and looks forward to calmer stages, injured teammate already feeling better

While UAE Team Emirates still had all eight riders in a group of about 25 on the San Pellegrino climb, Primož Roglič was left with only Giulio Pellizzari by his side. When Egan Bernal (INEOS Grenadiers) launched an attack and Pellizzari also had to let go, the situation looked like it could turn tricky for Roglič.

However, the Slovenian wasn’t put under pressure by his GC rivals, and on the descent teammate Giovanni Aleotti was able to make it back to the group. Speaking through team channels after the stage, Aleotti said he was already feeling better after his crash on stage six. That same crash also involved Jan Tratnik and Daniel Felipe Martínez, who finished further behind on the day.

“It went well, so I think I’m on the mend,” Aleotti said. “My tailbone still hurts when I sit on the saddle, but my knee is improving. I barely notice it anymore. I was able to help Primož and Giulio into the final climb. Now we’ve got three easier stages coming up, and on Sunday it’s back to business.”

Roglič shared his thoughts after the stage with Val 202, echoing his teammate’s words. The Slovenian admitted he’s still feeling some pain in his left shoulder and hamstring following his crashes on Sunday and Tuesday. “It was a tough stage right from the start, especially with that hard climb. We were a bit lucky that the rain only came after the finish.”

“All in all, it was a tough day with a demanding finish, but we were where we needed to be. Now I need to recover a bit, but I’m satisfied,” said Roglič, who finished twelfth on the stage.