«I came here to feel a little better and I think I succeeded»,Primois Roglic As always, he is direct, sincere and practical. The Slovenian speaks like this about Burgos Tour, a classic appointment leading up to the big event, the Return in this case.
The former ski jumper is therefore travelling towards “his” Vuelta. The great Giro which he has already won three times. The challenge awaits him with evenepoel, primarily, Ayuso, Thomas, but perhaps its most dangerous rival is at home, as we will see.
I came, I saw, I conquered
As "usual" the rider of the Jumbo-Vismhe is back in the running after many months. He hasn't been seen with the number on his back since Rome, 78 days ago, Tour of Italy. He won and immediately made his form clear.
Roglic is one of the best in the world at preparing himself while staying away from the races. He went to Tignes, France, for three weeks with much of the “Vuelta group”The Burgos race was a sort of running-in, a dress rehearsal.
And the sporting director spoke precisely of a dress rehearsal, Marc Reef: "The Vuelta Burgos was a good dress rehearsal. The temperatures, the route, and the racing style are comparable to those of the Vuelta.
«The main goal was to take the final steps, refine the leg and we succeeded. But I'm not just happy for Roglic. I saw that the other guys also showed they're ready, especially Jan Tratnik, who was recovering from a pre-Giro crash and has undergone a long rehabilitation program."
Growth path
Yet Primoz didn't dominate. He did win. He proved to be ready and efficient, but on the climbs he did not distance himself from all his rivals. In fact, if we're really nitpicking, on the day of his second victory, at a certain point when he was in the lead a couple of kilometers from the finish and setting the pace, his pace even slowed a bit, evidence of which was Vine's comeback. Then, in the finale, he responded to the attacks and outsprinted everyone. But he won because of his characteristics and not as a "steamroller".
Maybe there were tactical reasons. Maybe he didn't want to overrev more than necessary, maybe he was struggling too.
"The day was hot again," Roglic told Slovenian TV after the final stage, "but I felt great. Our guys controlled the stage all day, and I'd say the entire race. I wanted to put intensity into my legs. I'm really happy with my condition and obviously with the victory too. It was my first time doing the Vuelta Burgos and I really enjoyed it. I saw so many people along the roads."
"I've also seen a strong team these days. The boys had everything under control."
dream team
And the team theme is back. Just a few hours ago, Jumbo-Visma officially announced its lineup for the big Spanish race.
In addition to Roglic there will be Tratnik, Vingegaard, Kuss (at the third major Giro of the season), Kelderman, Gesink, Van Baarle e Walter. A monstrous roster.
«Going with more tips could be useful to us – added Reef – After the Giro, Primoz rested and spent a long period at high altitude, then went to Burgos. After the Tour, Vingegaard stopped, started training again and has already sent out excellent signals."
Roglic himself seemed confident with this lineup. Vingegaard doesn't appear to be a rival, at least for now. According to many—both technicians and riders present in Burgos—the heat could be the deciding factor. In this sense, Vingegaard has always proven himself capable so far, but he could pay the price for the close-quarters effort of the Tour. Meanwhile, Primoz is fresher. It's an open question.
But we'd like to close with Reef's own words before the Vuelta Burgos: "Roglic is aiming for the overall victory and possibly a stage victory. The final one is very explosive and suits him." These goals were achieved to the letter.
And yet: «Since 2019, Primoz hasn't had such good preparation for the Vuelta. He was able to rest and rebuild his condition as planned. He's in good shape now."
