Roglic gratefully accepts Israel-Premier Tech's gift: "We were willing to help, but they did a lot of work"

Primoz Roglic made a great move on stage eight of the Vuelta a España. The Slovenian rider of Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe initially let his team rest, but thanks to the remarkable chasing efforts of Israel-Premier Tech, he was able to contend for the victory. To do so, he personally dropped all his competitors on the final climb, gaining about one minute back on Ben O'Connor.

"I didn't expect to be competing for the stage win," the experienced rider said in the flash interview. "It was very tough and also very hot. But near the end of the race, the opportunity suddenly presented itself. Of course, I seized it with both hands."

A gift from Israel-Premier Tech

Roglic also spoke about the hard work of Israel-Premier Tech, who gave everything to reel in the breakaway group in service of Michael Woods. However, the best rider from that team to finish was George Bennett, finishing in sixteenth place. "I understood their approach," Roglic said. "We were willing to help, but one guy (Riley Sheehan, ed.) did a lot of work. So we didn't need to lend a hand. That was it for us."

The final climb was one that suited Roglic very well on paper. This was confirmed in practice, which the winner also acknowledged. "Yes, pretty much. But I always want to go for it, whether it's going up or down. I was also a bit lucky to have good legs in this heat. Am I happy with the time gain I achieved? Of course, but we shouldn't get ahead of ourselves. Maybe I'll lose time next time."