'We're not freelancers'; Primoz Roglic responds to choices within Red Bull, but also leaves opening
Cycling
Follow IDL Pro Cycling on Google
Stay up to date with the best cycling news by making us a preferred source on Google.
Follow us on GooglePress moments with Primoz Roglic, they can be as elusive as they are entertaining. It was again of that at the media day organized by Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe in Mallorca. Roglic is entering his final contract year with the German team, but worrying? No, the old Slovenian won't get mad anymore.
ADVERTISEMENT
While most teams store camps on the Costa Blanca, the Germans are the only WorldTour team choosing to dock/fly on the more eastern Mallorca. Roglic is fine with it all, having resided there himself for a while. 'I was already a cyclist, actually. I lived in El Arenal during the winter, in 2016 and 2017. It's a nice place to be in the winter.'
CEO Ralph Denk and sports manager Zak Dempster had announced moments before that Roglic will not ride a Giro or Tour, but will go for his fifth overall victory in the Vuelta. The Slovenian's response? "If there is something I have learned over the years, it is that things can change in a cycling season. There has to be planning, because we are not freelancers on this team.'
Roglic continues to race as long as he is eager
Remco Evenepoel and Florian Lipowitz are now the star boys, Roglic is already being pushed a bit more toward the shadows. 'I like it. On the one hand there is less pressure, but actually I don't need to have that anymore anyway.'
'We all know how tough the Vuelta will be, but when I think about it now, every race is like that these days,' Roglic laughed. 'Everyone rides incredibly fast and all those young guys work their asses off for every race. It's a challenge. Even winning a stage in Valencia is hard these days.'
Does that sound like a Slovenian version of everything used to be better and the imminent end of a rich cycling career?'I hope not, I would like to race for ten more years. But I have to stay eager and happy and be able to enjoy it. As long as that is the case, I will continue to race. Part of that is related to the results I will get, but then again it is not. We will see, day by day, year by year.' Just to pull a few more clichés out of the top hat.
Roglic took more distance from cycling in 2025
It may all look a bit stoic, but you can bet Roglic will be there and about at the Vuelta start in his Monaco. 'It's something winners have in them. Maybe you are born with it, maybe it grows as time goes on. But it does make me happy to fight for wins and that's what I get paid for. And if you don't win, you have to learn from it and accept it.'
Roglic did the same after last year's Tour, in which things didn't go the way he would like. 'Maybe because of the change I was able to take some distance from cycling, which gives me a bit more space. I no longer have the obsession to win one race, but it's also not like I wake up and work hard just to finish. If I could sign somewhere to win the Tour, I would. But it doesn't work that way. It's all easy talk.
Let the legs do the talking then, 'I start in the Tirreno-Adriatico and also ride the Itzulia, but I have to start somewhere. You can start earlier, but also later. Or in between. They are all difficult races. The Ardennes classics? That's after Basque, right?" he looks questioningly at press secretary Gabriele Uboldi. And yes, those are after the Basque.
Tom van der Salm (27) comes from the charming town of Zeilberg (Deurne) in the Netherlands and has been working as editor-in-chief & journalist at IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, In de Leiderstrui, since 2019. He travels with the peloton from the Tour de France to the AlUla Tour and from the World Championships in Rwanda or Canada to the Zilvermeercross in Mol. In his spare time he enjoys playing football, mountain biking, running, walking with his Labrador/Stabyhoun, investing, holidays, (specialty) beers, reading, cooking and watching sports & documentaries!
Contact: [email protected]
IDL-productions
Onley, Dickson, Thornley and now Mason; Scotland is punching way above its cycling weight
Cyclocross legend Lars van der Haar had a tough time after retiring from cyclocross: 'It was over pretty quickly'
Celia Gery won the European cyclocross championship while awaiting surgery: 'It'll be a new beginning'
Dutch team coach De Knegt annoyed by European Cyclocross Championships dispute: "A bit of a let down"
Glasgow set to shine as World Cup demand outstrips expectations and Mason eyes first home cyclocross race
Latest Cycling News
Complications surround Wout van Aert's World Cyclocross Championship start
Thibau Nys and Lucinda Brand's team lose title sponsor in the middle of the cyclocross season
Onley, Dickson, Thornley and now Mason; Scotland is punching way above its cycling weight
Michael Vanthourenhout's severe crash overshadows thrilling men's cyclocross race in merksplas
Lucinda Brand wins the Superprestige Merksplas cyclocross just three days after foot injury
Popular Cycling News
Tadej Pogačar reveals his insane training data in new HBO film: 'I think that's what works best'
Pidcock's turbocharged vacation leads to struggles on the bike: 'No wonder people think cycling is hard'
Mads Pedersen weighs in on Lucinda Brand and Marie Schreiber's European Cyclocross Championship clash
Thibau Nys and Lucinda Brand's team lose title sponsor in the middle of the cyclocross season
Extensive evidence of use of N-word, homophobia, and Asian-hate by track cyclist Matthew Richardson revealed
Latest Comments
- - I’m still learning how cyclocross works: when he says he messed up the start at the Europeans, can a bad start really make that much difference?patriciaw14-11-2026
- - Love that he’s honest about the pressure. Hopefully he can carry this form through the winter.lindae14-11-2026
- - Beating different competition is the key now. Nys is already in the mix, and Van der Poel could make the next step a much tougher one.jennifer1914-11-2026
- - About time—Mason’s been knocking on the door for years. That Niel win could really open things up for him.cadencekingm14-11-2026
- I’m still learning how cyclocross works—does leading the Superprestige mean Mason is top of that race series, rather than the World Cup? Either way, winning in Belgium sounds like a massive result.cadencekingm13-11-2026
- Calling Onley a contender for an overall Tour win already feels a bit premature, especially after the injury setbacks. Still, the depth of talent is exciting.robert6513-11-2026
- Great to see Dickson’s route from triathlon to the WorldTour getting recognition. Scottish cycling has plenty to be proud of, and the 2027 Grand Départ could give the next generation a real lift.patriciaw13-11-2026
- The article makes a good case for clubs and small teams doing the groundwork, rather than one big development pipeline. Thornley’s Vuelta time trials were seriously impressive too; missing a stage win by two seconds is brutal.davidm13-11-2026
- Mason winning in Niel is huge—beating that kind of Belgian field in the mud takes serious class. The Kelvingrove World Cup could be an unforgettable homecoming.breakawaybikerd13-11-2026
- I’m not sure how WorldTour licences work—could these reports affect whether the team gets one next year, or is that decision based on other criteria?velodromevirtuoso113-11-2026