Roglic's last ace in La Vuelta

Whenever Primoz Roglic has climbed to the top of the box in the Vuelta a España, he had previously won a time trial.

Thomas Osborne
Thomas Osborne
30 August 2022 Tuesday 02:36
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Roglic's last ace in La Vuelta

Whenever Primoz Roglic has climbed to the top of the box in the Vuelta a España, he had previously won a time trial. He did it in Pau in 2019, at the Ézaro viewpoint in 2020 and in Burgos and Santiago in 2021. That is why today's 30.9 km time trial between Elche and Alicante is marked in red by both the Slovenian Jumbo cyclist and by its main rivals. Roglic's situation is somewhat desperate (he is third, 1m54s behind the leader) and this forces him to sign one of his best performances if he wants to maintain his already meager chances of winning his fourth consecutive Vuelta, Roberto Heras added four but alternately.

The Slovenian's task is titanic. He no longer has the legs of previous years, his physical condition seems to go from more to less in this edition, and the level of Remco Evenepoel (Quick-Step), his main rival, seems higher. However, a specialist like him may be able to redeem himself at such a stage. His track record attests to this, with 15 wins against the clock in his career, although only one this year, at Itzulia held in April.

The favorite for victory is Evenepoel, who in Pico Jano and Les Praeres impressed with a great superiority in the mountains, terrain that is not his a priori. And although he has always defended himself in the discipline of speed, this year he has gone even further. Of the eight time trial victories on his record, three were achieved in 2022: in the Algarve, in Switzerland and in the Belgian championship. There he beat specialists such as Stefan Küng, bronze at the 2020 World Cup, Geraint Thomas, Campenaerts (European champion), Lampaert (winner of the Tour prologue this year) or Bob Jungles. And he has only scored fewer points this year than Filippo Ganna, Wout Van Aert and Stefan Küng. The profile of this stage, moreover, adapts perfectly to its characteristics.

It will be a pure test, candy for riders and a headache for climbers. There may be an Evenepoel-Roglic duel, and the result may mark the way to Madrid. But above all, it will set the stage for the Sierra Nevada, fertile ground for climbers. Three mountainous stages until Sunday await throughout this second week. There, the Spanish army formed by the reborn Enric Mas, and the young Carlos Rodríguez and Juan Ayuso will join the battle.

They are not expected, however, in the time trial, in which only Ayuso defends himself acceptably. Enric Mas, for this reason, resigns himself: “I hope to play a decent role and not lose much time. I haven't thought about what I can lose, I'll give it my all”. The Spaniard seems to be mentally recovered from his poor performance in the Tour, but he admits that Evenepoel “is the strongest”. “He is giving the best version of himself since he went pro. Until the contrary is proven, it must be accepted as such, ”he explained.