Primož Roglič sums up his (adjusted) approach to the Vuelta a España: 'Prepared to adjust if necessary'

Primož Roglič, a four-time winner of the Vuelta a España, will begin the race on Saturday in his hometown of Monaco. The Slovenian, who rides for Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, would have loved nothing more than to go for his fifth overall victory, but acknowledges on the eve of the race that setbacks during his preparation have made that impossible.

Roglič was struck by a car during his high-altitude training camp, which forced him to figuratively hit the brakes. “We have to be realistic, because his preparation has gone very differently than we initially expected after his crash,” team director Sven Vanthourenhout acknowledged in a press release from the team.

"We'll take the situation step by step. We'll support him in achieving the best possible result in the general classification, but we also have to be prepared to adjust if necessary," said the Belgian sports director.

"Instead of preparing, I was in rehabilitation," Roglic aptly put it in a single sentence on RTVSlo. “Three weeks ago, putting on my socks was the hardest thing. I still can’t lie on my right side, but I’m fit enough to start the Vuelta,” said the rider who skipped the Clásica de San Sebastián and the Tour of Burgos.

The fact that he was spared a long trip was, on the other hand, a small advantage: the Vuelta starts in his hometown of Monaco. “I should have no problem riding ten kilometers in Monaco, but after that I’ll just have to see how things go from day to day. I haven’t ridden any three-week races this year, so it’s nice to be able to race a little longer.”

In 2019, Roglic won the race for the first time, and that’s when he also faced the then-very-young Tadej Pogacar—this year’s favorite to win the race. “He was already on the podium back then, which was extraordinary. He was also very strong on the final day,” Roglic recalls all too well as the race’s overall winner. Pogacar finished third that year.

Finally, he was asked about his future: Roglic is leaving Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe and has been linked to Lotto-Intermarché. “I can confirm that we’ve spoken, but that was only recently, when everyone already knew about it. I always just think a few weeks ahead,” he concluded with a quote in true Primož Roglic style.