Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) would appear indestructible. Or, at least, every time the Slovenian star suffers a setback, he bounces back to the highest level, as illustrated by his recent victory in La Vuelta Ciclista a España, his fifth Grand Tour triumph after three previous wins in Spain (2019 - 21) and another in the Giro d'Italia (2023). It's been a complicated year for Roglič, crashing out of the Itzulia Basque Country and the Tour de France. But it's turning out to be a successful one, again.
How do you feel after three weeks of battle to win the 2024 edition of La Vuelta?
Primož Roglič (P.R.): I’m just happy. For me, the whole season didn’t go, let’s say, the way I wished. But in the end, we managed to deliver good performances with the whole team. Each and every one gave it everything, from the start until now. And it’s just incredible to do it again.
How did you face today’s final effort?
P.R.: I wanted to finish it off. It was tough but everything went fine and I’m happy. I saw [Stefan Küng’s performance]. We all know he’s strong in this kind of flat time trials. Still, I tried to motivate myself to go for it, otherwise it’s even harder. So I pushed and in the end it was hard but I definitely want to congratulate him, he did a really good job. He was incredibly strong today. On my side, I’m enjoying it.
You came to La Vuelta with doubts around how your back would react to the demands of the race. How did it go?
P.R.: Definitely, it worked out. But I wasn’t really sure how things would develop. I mean, after the Tour, I was three or four days at home and then I went straight to altitude to prepare for La Vuelta. I’ve only been home a couple of times since April, it takes a lot of effort and I’m happy to have my closest ones, my family, supporting me to do these things. I still suffered with my back when I started La Vuelta but I also said it should be fine when we finish. It’s a lot better now than it was at the time!
How much are you looking forward to going home and not thinking about cycling?
P.R.: I will still be busy, with my two kids! It’s not just about cycling, I also want to be involved with them, they’re growing up, and with my family.
You’ve won La Vuelta four times, like Roberto Heras… What do you know about him?
P.R.: I don’t really know much actually. I was involved with another sport [ski jumping] at the time and I started cycling when I was 22 years old. Then I started to get more involved, to learn about it. And it’s incredible to match such a record.
Five victories would be nice…
P.R.: Of course [laughs]! It’s never enough… But four is already crazy.
You’re turning 35 years old in a few weeks and 2025 is your last year of contract at the moment with Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe. How do you see the future?
P.R.: It’s not easy to say, we don’t know what the future will be like, how long I’ll be able to ride… But at the moment, I’m riding, I’m enjoying, we’ve just won the Vuelta with Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe and it’s just really beautiful to be part of this process. Everyone around enjoyed it, I think we really had a beautiful time.
How would you describe your path and your relationship with Spain since you first won La Vuelta, in 2019?
P.R.: It went pretty fast! I won the first one, and then another one, and another… I have really nice memories. La Vuelta is a beautiful event and I just want to enjoy it.
Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe want to be the best team in the world. Tadej Pogačar wants to be the best cyclist in history. What do you want?
P.R.: I just want to give my best, on the bike, and to help develop a good team. The best, it’s quite a strong word, but of course as a rider, or as a team, you have to thrive to be the best. That’s normal, there’s nothing wrong there, but it’s also very difficult. Knowing that we put in our best effort, then we can only be satisfied with our performances.