34-Year-Old Slovenian Cyclist Anticipates Head-On Competition With Former Tour de France Champions

The Slovenian cyclist Primož Roglič, 34, prepares for his sixth Tour de France appearance, knowing time is running out for his Grand Tour title chase. Having skipped the 2023 Tour to win the Giro d’Italia and finish third in the Vuelta a España, the Slovenian cyclist now sets his sights on conquering the Tour.

Leading the Bora-Hansgrohe team, the cyclist will face formidable competition from previous Tour winners Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogačar, along with, the rising star Remco Evenepoel. Roglič is thrilled about the upcoming competition, calling his team “amazing.”

Brand new team but cyclist’s confidence is sky-high

Primož Roglič decided to leave Jumbo-Visma because he realized that Vingegaard would be the team’s primary leader. Although Roglič knows he is not likely to win the Tour de France at 34 years old, he wanted a new challenge. That is what made him join Bora-Hansgrohe to pursue it.

Talking about the pivotal shift he made, Roglič said, “At my age, I will not have 10 more opportunities to win the Tour. At 34, you need to have new things to keep going. I never want to look back and say I’d never tried a different team.”

Primož Roglič is currently preparing for the Tour de France with his Bora-Hansgrohe team in Tenerife. While he has won Paris-Nice in the past, he suggests that he may adjust his strategy for pre-Tour races. Instead of targeting victories, he might use some races as opportunities to improve his fitness.

The cyclist highlights certain stages of the Tour as particularly demanding, such as the early ones in Italy, the ninth stage on gravel, and the final stages in southern France. However, his chief priority for now is to stay healthy, as he has faced some fitness issues during the winter.

Roglic moves carefully in the latter stages of his career

Bora-Hansgrohe, armed with Roglič and the support of Red Bull, aspires to win their maiden Tour de France podium. The Slovenian cyclist, with a record four Grand Tour victories and a previous second-place finish in the Tour de France, is determined to claim the coveted yellow jersey.

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The team shares Roglič’s unwavering ambition, fostering a collective drive to conquer the Tour. They believe meticulous preparation and an unyielding resolve are paramount for achieving their ultimate goal.

“We are not the biggest team, at least not yet. I want to make this team as good as possible as quickly as possible, and everyone here is enthusiastic. Time will tell if we can win the Tour. But we can wake up every morning dreaming about it. For me, the key point is to go into the Tour ready to win,” he stated. 

As for the cycling action, the UAE Tour just wrapped up Stage 2. After a whirlwind Stage 1 that saw 15 cyclists crash and several injured, the next day was quite uneventful. US cyclist Brandin McNulty was the winner of the Stage 2 time trial.

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