Roglic prepared quietly for World Championships with altitude camp: “We know how strong he comes into the race then”

The 35-year-old Roglic has by no means had the best season of his career. The year began promisingly with overall victory at the Tour of Catalonia, followed by his first major target, the Giro d’Italia. In Italy, however, Roglic never hit top form and, to make matters worse, was forced to abandon after the effects of a heavy crash.

Because of the injuries and the short turnaround between the Giro and the Tour de France, Roglic again failed to reach top shape in France. Although he showed improvement in the final week and attacked several times, the four-time Vuelta a España winner certainly won’t look back with satisfaction on finishing eighth overall. After the Tour, Roglic only raced once more, at the Clásica San Sebastián in early August, where he finished 22nd.

Roglic’s next race, the Worlds road race, will come almost two months later. Nevertheless, Slovenia’s national coach expects Roglic to be in top condition at the start in Rwanda. “I think Primoz will be perfectly prepared, so that he can shake things up in the finale and secure a result,” said an optimistic Murn to the Slovenian press before traveling to Rwanda.

Still, there is no doubt about who the Slovenians’ absolute leader is. “But Tadej is definitely the favorite,” Murn continued. “Just like last year, he showed his level in the Canadian races.” The coach’s confidence in Roglic remains high, however. “Roglic is coming straight to us from his altitude camp. He took the initiative himself to spend two weeks in Sierra Nevada, and we all know how strong he is when he comes directly from altitude into races.”

With a top favorite like Pogacar in their ranks, it’s clear Slovenia will control the race, until the moment comes for Pogacar to unleash his power. Compared to last year, the coach can also select one extra rider. Slovenia is allowed to start with the maximum number of nine riders.

Since other countries likely won’t lend a hand during the race, that extra strength will come in handy. “Just like last year, we won’t be the ones attacking,” Murn said of the tactics. “The most important thing is to be present in breakaways with strong riders. I expect a similar scenario this year, with one of our guys in the front group.”

Murn believes the squad is in better shape than last year. “Domen Novak and Gal Glivar both finished the Vuelta successfully. We’ve seen that Matej (Mohoric) is strong, probably in his best form this year. I’d say we have an even better-prepared team than last year. It’s just a pity Jan Tratnik isn’t here.”