The day after Primoz Roglic crashed for the third time and lost time to his opponents, the Slovenian rider also suffered injuries in stage fifteen. The RedBull-BORA-hansgrohe team leader lost a minute and a half on the group with pink jersey wearer Isaac Del Toro (UAE Emirates-XRG) on the day before the final rest day, which is not encouraging for Roglic's chances of improving or even continuing in this race. On his way to the team bus, the Slovenian rider reportedly rode on without giving any explanation. TNT Sports managed to get a few words out of the former Giro winner just before the bus left, but Roglic did not say much. "I'm just happy to get to the finish," said the rider.
Of course, the
Slovenian media were present, with a stage close to home. According to a Slovenian radio program (Val 202), Roglic did not want to talk to anyone. The Slovenian media also reported that the team's medical staff immediately treated Roglic after the stage.
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Roglic out of Giro d'Italia on rest day? "He's in pain"
Sports director Christian Pömer did respond, but his comments raise many questions. According to him, it is far from certain whether Roglic will be able to resume the Giro after the rest day. "I think this decision is up to the medical team; health comes first. The team doctor has the final say and will assess whether Primoz can continue."
Sports director Pömer also saw how his rider had to fight to keep the damage minimal. "There's no point hiding that he's not feeling well or in pain. We tried to hide it a little, and that worked until today, but today we got a reality check," the sports director told the
Cycling Podcast, among others. "We saw a great champion fighting with tremendous team spirit. Ultimately, we lost much time; that's just the reality."
The exact severity of Roglic's injuries is unknown. He appeared to be fine before the stage and survived the steady pace of the peloton and even Egan Bernal's (INEOS Grenadiers) attack on Monte Grappa. He was then dropped in the final climb to the Asiago plateau and struggled to keep up with his teammates. Whether or not Roglic will leave the
Giro d'Italia is currently unclear. A decision may be made during Monday's rest day.