Primoz Roglič is greater than conscious that the most important checks on this 12 months’s Vuelta a España are but to come back, however even in comparison with only a day earlier than the race, the Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe chief is already significantly extra upbeat.
In his pre-Vuelta press convention, Roglič made no bones concerning the lingering ache from his again harm brought on by a foul crash within the Tour de France, that led to his abandon on stage 13 with a fractured vertebrae.
His impressively highly effective efficiency within the Vuelta opening time trial on Saturday might not have resolved all his issues about his again. But it was definitely ok to make sure the 34-year-old was notably extra optimistic when he talked to reporters on the stage 2 begin.
Roglič was even able to crack a joke or two about having a false tooth falling out the night earlier than the race, with the lacking denture now changed. But when it got here to being in good bodily form generally, Roglič’s outcomes from the time trial spoke for themselves.
“I’m positively proud of the trip, it was quick, however I did effectively at that pace, so I’m trying ahead to the following few days. It was solely 10 kilometres, however I’m super-happy about it,” Roglič advised reporters.
The Slovenian was proper to be glad, given he got here by the time trial because the best-placed GC contender of all of the pre-race favourites, eighth at simply 16 seconds again on winner Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates).
A fast look on the TT outcomes sheet confirmed that Roglič gained two seconds on closest-placed João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates), 5 seconds on Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek), 12 on Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe teammate Alexandr Vlasov and Thymen Arensman (Ineos Grenadiers), and 17 on Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates). Other favourites like Carlos Rodriguez (Ineos Grenadiers) and Sepp Kuss (Visma-Lease a Bike) misplaced much more time to Roglič.
Asked about what such a powerful trip stated about himself and his rivals, he replied, “I used to be performing effectively, now I’ve to see how I’m going on the conventional highway bike. But in any case, the race can be extra selected the climbs than on the flat levels.”
Such was his good temper at his good begin, that Roglič was even ready to crack a joke about his misplaced tooth – an incisor which fell out on Friday – saying that had he not had it changed, it will have been “a marginal acquire.”
“Yes it fell off, I misplaced it” he grinned. “But we put it again and ha, marginal features, that’s one gram much less. But we’re nonetheless not but attending to the climbs within the race, so we stated for the flat, I may have the tooth put again in once more as a result of it’s extra aero that approach.”
Roglič’s upbeat humour continued in stage 2, the place he completed safely within the bunch and remained eighth total, 20 seconds behind new race chief Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease A Bike). Emergency visits to the dentist however, to not point out the larger take a look at of the Pico de Villuercas summit end on Tuesday, for now a minimum of his 2024 Vuelta a España has bought off to a really perfect begin – and given how unsure he was sounding at occasions on Friday about his possibilities, that’s absolutely a step ahead for the Slovenian.
