Primoz Roglic will not be able to win his fourth consecutive title in the Vuelta a España, which would also make him the cyclist with the most victories in the history of the competition, tied with Roberto Heras (2000, 2003, 2004 and 2005). His spectacular fall in the sixteenth stage, last Tuesday, when he was already approaching the finish line, left him with "polycontusions and superficial injuries to the elbow, hip and knee," according to the medical report. The Slovenian went on the attack with two kilometers to go to close the gap with Remco Evenepoel (Quick-Step), leader of the general classification, as well as to try to storm the head of the stage, which Mads Pedersen (Trek) finally took. His attack ended in disgrace.
With just 50 meters to go to cross the finish line, a touch with the British Fred Wright (Bahrain) ended him on the ground, while the other four runners who formed the group that sprinted in the lead were able to cross the line without the slightest mishap. The injuries suffered by the Slovenian, although mostly superficial, will prevent him from being at the start of the seventeenth stage of La Vuelta. It will run this Wednesday, from Aracena (Huelva) to the Tentudía Monastery (Badajoz).
Immediately after Tuesday's stage, the images were very hopeless. The part issued by the medical team seems to fall short if you look only at the sensations of the blow. A spectacular impact and great gestures of pain from Roglic, with blood gushing from his elbow and his right leg. Despite everything, he did not want to go to the hospital, angry at the result of his unexpected attack on Evenepoel's leadership, taking advantage of the fact that he had punctured a wheel.
His team, the Jumbo Visma, which left the continuity of its rider in the competition up in the air in a first statement after the mishap, has announced through social networks that "unfortunately, Roglic will not be at the start of the 17th stage as a result of yesterday's fall". "Get well soon, champion! Thank you for all the beautiful moments of this Vuelta. You had ambitious plans for the last few days, but unfortunately it's not meant to be", adds Jumbo, encouraging his rider.
Roglic leaves the competition when he was in second place in the general classification, hot on the heels of the leader Evenepoel, who was only one minute and twenty-six seconds ahead of him with five stages remaining in the round. He has already withdrawn from the Tour de France due to another resounding crash in the fifteenth stage. He thus completes a difficult season, in which he could make history by becoming the first cyclist to win four consecutive laps. Mads Pedersen, Pascal Ackermann (UAE) and Danny Van Poppel (Bora) made up the podium for Tuesday's stage; while in the general classification Evenepoel continues to lead and Roglic gives up his second place to Enric Mas (Movistar), allowing Juan Ayuso (UAE) to sneak onto the podium.
