Roglic very satisfied with his season, cracks a joke with grain of truth: "I’ll race where he doesn’t race"

Tired, worn out and empty — that’s how Primoz Roglic felt. So after a tough Tour de France, a demanding Vuelta and an overall long season, the Slovenian chose to kick off his off-season early, skipping the Tour of Lombardy. In an interview with Slovenia’s Siol.net, Roglic opened up about this decision, his season and his goals for the coming year. What does the future hold for the nearly 35-year-old leader of Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe?

At an event for his foundation, Roglic explained his choice to skip Lombardy clearly: "I just reached the end. I’ve emptied the tank for this season. I simply wasn’t in good enough shape anymore, so it was necessary to wrap up the season, rest and gradually look toward the next one. Honestly, I haven’t really taken a break yet," he began, explaining his decision to listen to his body.

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  The Vuelta win was the crowning achievement in what was otherwise a very erratic year for Roglic

Roglic likely to focus on Giro in 2025: "An appealing choice... for now"

For the first time, Roglic can reflect on a season with a team other than Visma | Lease a Bike. Considering his age, you might think the German team leader might be feeling a bit jaded, but not at all. "Improvements are possible across the board. But given everything we achieved this year, we’re not going to complain," he said, content with achievements like the Dauphiné and the Vuelta. "After the tough start to the season in Paris-Nice, I’d have signed up for this immediately."

As for 2025, his program remains uncertain, but the Giro might be an option. "I’ll start in races that Tadej doesn’t race," he joked about his choices for the road season. "I haven’t thought about it in detail yet. We’ll see." Still, there seems to be a grain of truth in this joke. Tadej Pogacar won the Giro in 2024, and he likely won’t go for a second consecutive win.

It also helps that the Giro is expected to pass through Slovenia next year, which is something Roglic is quite excited about. "If you see how things are going today, you can imagine what it’ll be like when a major race passes through here," he commented at his foundation’s event. "But first, I’m really craving some rest and the off-season," Roglic concluded.

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