A bit like Van Aert, but without the cross and the Strade Bianche, Primoz Roglic returned to Paris-Nice, he took three days to adapt and on the fourth he won. Then like Van Aert he also finished second in the first stage race of the season, but following other dynamics which we have already told you about.
It is curious to observe how the two athletes of the Jumbo Visma were able to show up in top form at the first races. And if Van Aert's debut in Siena exposed him to a small crisis, Roglic's adaptation to the race pace was methodical and millimetricSo we asked a few questions to Mathieu Heijboer, a 39-year-old Dutchman who is the coordinator of the Jumbo Visma coaches and directly supervises Roglic's preparation.
How was Primoz's winter organized, after the Vuelta ended on November 8th?
First of course he did a three-week rest period. Then two months of aerobic construction until the final phase of our preparation, with the high altitude retreat on Teide to prepare for the Paris-Nice.
Did you play any other sports during those three weeks of rest?
A few short runs, short rides on the road or mountain bike, nothing more
Was he still in good shape when he resumed?
Certainly not at the level of the end of the Vuelta, but it is important to have a fluctuation in physical fitnessYou need to rest, recover, and lose something to be able to train and come back even stronger than before.
Did you change anything in the preparation?
Not much, to be honest. Primoz and the coaching staff they found a formula that works very well with him and so far we have not seen the need for radical changes in its preparation.
Does your schedule include gym work?
No, nothing. He does some core/balance exercises at home, but no strength work in the gym.
Did ski jumping leave him with any qualities?
Yup, Primoz has a great sense of his body (Propioception) thanks to his past. He's a truly complete athlete. Furthermore, ski jumping has made him very skilled at managing speed and gravity when descendingHe is never afraid.
Do you tend to gain weight during the winter break?
No, it's quite stable in terms of weight. He gained 1-1,5 kilos, but lost them quite easily. as soon as training became challenging again.
Is your training volume or quality?
By volume, do we mean endurance work? Even a distance can be considered a quality session, because it's necessary to build good condition. But Primoz likes to be on his bike, especially in the mountains. So for him the best days are the long, easy-paced rides in the mountains.
Did he train in Slovenia or Monaco?
Both.
Do you train alone or in a group?
Most of the time alone.
Does he often have to do work behind motorcycles?
No.
He started the season at Paris-Nice and won after three stages. Did you do any race simulations during your training camp?
Yup. We don't do many preparatory races, because we think we can prepare for the races by training (especially if we are talking about stage races). But to do this, we also foresee some race simulations, with very hard efforts at the end of each session.
Does it easily reach the best condition?
Yes, because Primoz is an athlete capable of carrying out his training program almost 100 percent. He recovers very well and adapts easily to stimuliFor the training staff, he is an "easy" athlete to work with, because we can set up a good path towards peak condition which always yields excellent results. On the other hand, If he ran too much, he might lose his peak form, so we plan the training plan and the competition schedule with a very clear idea.
