Primož Roglič, the 33-year-old Slovenian cycling sensation, has confirmed he will leave Jumbo-Visma at the end of the current season. Roglič broke the news to reporters before the start of the Giro dell’Emilia on Saturday. “I can definitely confirm that I will leave the team, but we want to tell all the details as to where, after the races that I do,” said Roglič.
Roglič has been with the Dutch team since 2016 and has had an illustrious career, winning three consecutive editions of the Vuelta a España and, most recently, this year’s Giro d’Italia. His final appearance for Jumbo-Visma will be at Il Lombardia in Italy on October 7th. While Roglič did not disclose his future team, he did clarify that he intends to reveal his new destination after his season officially concludes.
Teams reportedly interested in the Slovenian include Ineos Grenadiers, Lidl-Trek, Bora-Hansgrohe, Bahrain Victorious, Israel-Premier Tech, and Movistar. The complexity lies in Roglič’s contract with Jumbo-Visma, which extends through 2024. Any team wanting to secure his services would potentially have to buy out his existing contract, although Jumbo-Visma has said they’ve agreed to let the Slovenian change teams, so this could be rendered moot.
This move comes amid recent reports of a proposed merger between Jumbo-Visma and Soudal Quick-Step. Additionally, Jumbo’s growing talent pool, including Vuelta a España winner Sepp Kuss and two-time champion Jonas Vingegaard, may have crowded the leadership roles within the team. Roglič’s departure could also be driven by his ambition to lead a team at the Tour de France, an aspiration potentially complicated by Vingegaard’s own rising profile.
In an official tweet, Jumbo-Visma noted, “After a memorable ride together, Team Jumbo-Visma grants Primož Roglič the opportunity to pursue his ambitions elsewhere in the future. First, all focus will be on the upcoming Italian races. Gremo!”
Roglič, who transitioned to cycling after a career in professional ski-jumping, has rapidly ascended as one of the world’s leading general classification riders. His palmarès include 10 other WorldTour stage races, such as Paris-Nice, Itzulia Basque Country, and the Critérium du Dauphiné.
The news counters earlier statements from Jumbo’s boss Richard Plugge, who had previously deemed Roglič as ‘our king’ and saw no reason to let him go. With this turn of events, cycling pundits and fans alike are keen to see how this plays out in reshuffling team dynamics and leadership roles in professional cycling’s upper echelons.
