Giro/Tour combo takes its toll on Tratnik during Olympics: "Body is quite broken"

Fellow countryman Tadej Pogacar withdrew from the Slovenian team last week after competing in the Giro and Tour, but Tratnik, who also rode in the spring classics and the Tour de Romandie, didn’t consider it. However, he did need some recovery after the Tour. "There is no other race like the Tour. I still feel exhausted, but these three weeks will be in my memory forever."

"Working with such a fantastic group, both riders and staff, makes it much easier," said the Slovenian of Visma | Lease a Bike. "I had a great time, but I also had to sacrifice a lot of energy. Fortunately, we all made it to Nice together, and I want to thank the team for that."

There wasn’t much time to recover, as Tratnik was back at the start of the Olympic time trial on Saturday. "It’s been crazy, with many race days, traveling and training camps. The beach is waiting, but first I have one more stop: the Olympic Games. I just hope I wake up on Saturday," he said with a wink.

He did wake up, but his bike didn’t cooperate as much. After a few kilometers, he had to change bikes, and the race was over for him. "The Giro/Tour combination (and the whole season surrounding it) has left my body quite broken," he reflected on social media. "A technical issue took a mental toll on me. It wasn’t the easiest moment for me, but it’s already done."

"Now I hope I can somehow recover by Saturday and show my best," Tratnik said ahead of the road race. "Even if I feel like a slug, you never know what might happen. I just want to give it my very best and end this period in that way," he added.

Alongside Tratnik, Jasper Stuyven completed both the Giro and the Tour before participating in the Olympics. Luka Mezgec, Christophe Laporte, Alexey Lutsenko and Biniam Girmay also competed in both races, but they didn’t finish the Giro — and, in Lutsenko’s case, he didn't finish the Tour either.