The 25th edition of the Tour of Slovenia took place on June 13-17. This UCI 2.1 stage race was first held in 1993, and joined the UCI Europe Tour in 2005. It did not take place in 1997. Among its most famous champions are Vincenzo Nibali (Italy) and Jakob Fuglsang (Denmark).
The 2018 edition consisted of five stages covering 669 kilometres, beginning in Lendava to the east and finishing in Novo Mesto, to the southwest. The opening 159km stage between Lendava and Murska Sobota was won by Simone Consonni (UAE Team Emirates) in a sprint finish. Dylan Groenewegen (Team Lotto NL-Jumbo) took the second stage win, also in a sprint, with Benjamin Hill (Ljubljana Gusto Xaurum) moving into the leader's jersey. Stage 3 saw Rigoberto Uran (EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale) win both the stage and the yellow jersey, before losing it on the next stage to eventual overall winner Primoz Roglic (Team Lotto NL-Jumbo), who won both the fourth stage and the final 21km individual time trial, to become a two-time winner of his national tour, after 2015.
2018 Final Standings
1. Primoz Roglic (SLO), Team Lotto NL-Jumbo, 15:18:13 2. Rigoberto Uran (COL), EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale, at 1:50 3. Matej Mohoric (SLO), Bahrain-Merida, at 2:14 4. Tadej Pogacar (SLO), Ljubljana Gusto Xaurum, at 2:16 5. Michael Storer (AUS), Team Sunweb, at 2:18
Individual Rankings UCI Africa Tour - Joseph Areruya (RWA) UCI America Tour - Serghei Tvetcov (ROU) UCI Asia Tour - Thomas Lebas (FRA) UCI Europe Tour - Andrea Pasqualon (ITA) UCI Oceania Tour - Chris Harper (AUS)
Teams Rankings UCI Africa Tour - Sovac-Natura4Ever UCI America Tour - Rally Cycling UCI Asia Tour - Kinan Cycling Team UCI Europe Tour - Wanty - Groupe Gobert UCI Oceania Tour - Bennelong Swisswellness
Nation Rankings UCI Africa Tour - Eritrea UCI America Tour - Colombia UCI Asia Tour - Japan UCI Europe Tour - Italy UCI Oceania Tour - Australia
Italy's Andrea Pasqualon, riding for the UCI Professional Continental Team Wanty - Groupe Gobert for the last three seasons, has had an extremely strong opening half to the 2018 season, moving into the lead of the UCI Europe Tour at the end of June. His latest victory came at the beginning of June, when he took the overall classification at the UCI 2.HC Skoda-Tour of Luxembourg, winning two stages as well as the Points Jersey. Prior to that, he won the UCI 1.1 GP de Plumelec-Morbihan, was fourth at the UCI 1.UWT Eschborn-Frankfurt and fourth at the UCI 1.HC GP de Denain-Porte du Hainaut. Other notable results include winning the UCI 1.1 Coppa Sabatini-Gran Premio citta di Peccioli (2017) and finishing second at the UCI 1.HC GP du canton d'Argovie (2016).