At the 2020 Tour de France, Roglič seemed destined for victory. After claiming the stage 4 win at Orcieres-Merlette, his first and only Tour stage victory, it appeared he was making a serious bid for the overall title. However, his dreams were shattered on the Planche des Belles Filles time trial by Tadej Pogačar. This unexpected defeat echoed the fate of Luis Ocaña in 1971, who lost his lead after a crash.
Despite the setbacks, Roglič has built an impressive resume. He has achieved notable success in the Vuelta a España, Olympic Games, Giro d’Italia, and various week-long stage races. Yet, the Tour de France remains elusive. Post-2020, Roglič faced two Tour withdrawals in 2021 and 2022 due to crashes and injuries, and a DNS due to the rise of Jumbo-Visma’s leader, Jonas Vingegaard.
Parallels and Comparisons
Roglič’s Grand Tour achievements draw comparisons to Tony Rominger, who similarly won three Vueltas, a single Giro, and had a second-place finish in the Tour. Roglič’s tenacity is evident, especially given his decision to leave Jumbo-Visma for Bora-Hansgrohe, seeing greater opportunities for future victories.
In his interview with Cyclingnews, Roglič remarked, “We made history, and I was part of it.” He added that moving to Bora-Hansgrohe was a natural choice, providing him more chances to achieve his goals.
Roglič’s transition to Bora-Hansgrohe was not without difficulties. Paris-Nice was particularly challenging, as team manager Rolf Aldag described it to *Het Laatste Nieuws*: “Paris-Nice was a complete disaster.” Later, a crash in the Itzulia-Basque Country, alongside Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel, left him injured and forced him to miss Liège-Bastogne-Liège.
However, recent performances at the Critérium du Dauphiné have been promising. Roglič secured a second overall victory and back-to-back mountain stage wins, with strong support from teammate Aleksandr Vlasov. Vlasov commented, “Primož can win the Tour.”
Looking Ahead
While Roglič displayed superior form in the Dauphiné, notably against Remco Evenepoel, his climbing was less dominant than Jonas Vingegaard’s the previous year. With Tadej Pogačar also in contention, Roglič faces significant challenges in the upcoming Tour. Nonetheless, his experience as a former Olympic champion and his multiple TT wins still make him a formidable competitor.
