Roglic prepares for Tour with altitude training in the Alps, but antibiotics suggest more Giro damage than expected

Four crashes ultimately meant the end of Roglic's Giro. In Nova Gorica, in his home country of Slovenia no less, he was lying on the ground, and in the sixteenth stage, he crashed twice, after which he withdrew. But it was in the first week that he suffered the most damage. The gravel stage in Siena was when things really went wrong: he fell on his shoulder, which he had already injured last year in the Dauphiné.

That continued to bother him in the following weeks, and at the start of the third week, he decided to call it quits. It was a disappointment, but the team also saw the positive side. "Of course, we will investigate whether there are any fractures or serious muscle injuries, but for now, we are not assuming that," said trainer Marc Lamberts. "After a week of rest with his family, he should be able to complete his preparations for the Tour – with altitude training in Tignes – as normal. He now has an extra week of rest."

And so it happened. Roglic is currently at altitude in the Alps, as shown in a selfie on Instagram. He hints that his shoulder has received much attention after his DNF in the Giro. A course of antibiotics was necessary, but that is now over. “Que sera, sera,” he writes in the post: “What will be, will be.” The Slovenian rider is dealing with the setbacks while slowly but surely preparing for the Tour de France.

Will Roglic be in top form at the start? The preparation has not been ideal, and he will certainly lack race rhythm in the coming months. He will be supported by a rock-solid team in Lille, and in Florian Lipowitz, he seems to have the perfect domestique. The German finished third in the Critérium du Dauphiné, but despite his top performance, he knows his place. “The plan is to support Primoz Roglic; he is the big leader there,” said Lipowitz.