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Primoz Roglic seizes pink jersey with masterful ride on Giro’s penultimate day

Slovenian destroys course despite bike change

Primoz Roglic in giro tt Photo by: Jumbo Visma

Three years ago at the Tour de France Primoz Roglic saw his yellow jersey nicked by compariot Tadej Pogacar on the penultimate day’s mountain time trial. On Saturday the Slovenian got to exorcise the demons and play spoiler himself in the same circumstances, ripping the pink jersey from Geraint Thomas while storming the course and winning the day despite a bike change on the climb. Roglic is poised to win his fourth career Grand Tour.

The Course
The crucial 18.6-km chrono featured 11 km of flat before the nasty climb of Mount Lussari. The first few kilometers of the ascent were the toughest. Riders would change their machines at the foot of Lussari. The intermediate time checks were at the bottom of the climb, the 14.2 km mark and the 17.7 km mark.

By the time the top three–Thomas, Roglic (+0:29), and Joao Almeida (+0:56) were on the course, Roglic’s teammate Sepp Kuss had the best time with 45:28.

Almeida set the new best intermediate best time at the start of the climb but the Slovenian was four seconds swifter. Thomas was only two seconds off the pace, but had a slow bike and helmet. The Welshman was losing time, but trickles, not gouts.

Roglic was flying but the bike change seemed like it had scuppered his bid for pink. But no– his 44:23 won the day and for all intents and purposes the 106th Giro.

“”It feels amazing. It’s incredible. My chain dropped but I put it back. I could have lost everything but it’s part of racing,” Roglic said after. “The crowd gave me some extra watts and I was enjoying the atmosphere and the energy around the event. One day to go. The course is a bit technical. It’s not over until it’s over but it looks good.”

Sunday is the procession into Rome where the sprinters get their last hurrah and Roglic is crowned the champion.

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