Compatriot and new teammate on Primoz Roglic: "After the Tour he could have said 'f*ck cycling', but he showed balls"

Jan Tratnik has changed jerseys from Team Visma | Lease a Bike to Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe, just like Primoz Roglic. His compatriot was of course instrumental in the signing, but the veteran tells that he is chasing more opportunities, share his experience with younger teammates and help a new team grow.

"It was difficult to leave Visma | Lease a Bike, that's for sure. I had everything there, but I also started to get a bit bored," the Slovenian shared with In de Leiderstrui. "How should I put it: I was only on the bike and training, while I am someone who likes to think about what can be improved. At Visma, the team was on top of things, which gave me the feeling that I was just sitting on my bike and racing".

Whilst that is perfectly fine with many riders, Tratnik wished to be part of a growing team at the moment and he found the ideal opportunity in the German outfit: "When I spoke to Ralph Denk about what Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe wants to become, I saw the opportunity to play a role in the growth of the team myself. That was a big reason to move. I want to help and I already notice that the young guys come to me, for my experience. I like that. In addition, I get the chance to ride races on my own account and I am reunited with Primoz. All that together".

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It's a mix of factors that all combined saw Tratnik move away from the Dutch team. He will start the upcoming season at the Etoile de Bessèges, ride some of the cobbled classics; and then do the Volta a Catalunya, Giro d'Italia and Tour de France as right-hand man for Roglic. "Primoz immediately told me that I had to do what was best for me. I have to be happy, that's the most important thing. He didn't call me begging me to come, this was my decision," he confirms. 

"He didn't ask me what to do when he left Visma. We're adults and we understand everything. We also know that work is one side and our friendship is separate from that. The fact that Primoz rides here played a role of course, but that wasn't that much in percentage terms. Maybe 20 or 30 percent [...] We always remained friends and now live as neighbours in Monaco. We're often together there too".

Roglic just won the Vuelta a España after a pretty meaningful setback, his third consecutive DNF at the Grand Boucle whilst fighting for the podium together with Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel. "Yes, I think he can compete with those guys," he argues. "When I see how hard Primoz works and what power he rides, I believe in that. The most important thing is that Primoz and we as a team do everything we can to be at our very best. When you cross the finish line and you have gotten the most out of it, then you can be happy. From what I see and what I have seen in the Vuelta in terms of climbing times, then with good preparation and enormous motivation he can be competitive with the best. If you do not believe in that, you better stop".

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Tratnik knows his new teammate is capable of a lot and is psychologically very strong, which could be a big weapon at the biggest races. "After so many setbacks, we have to realize how strong Primoz is. After the Tour he could have said 'fuck cycling', but he showed balls, went to altitude with a broken back and won the Vuelta. He seems to come back stronger after every crash, while he is constantly under a magnifying glass in the media. He keeps trying and shows it again and again. With a bit of luck and without crashes he can still compete with the youngsters at the age of 36.'

As for Tratnik, he is also eager to be a leader more often himself: "I'm already 34 and haven't ridden that many classics. I've been a domestique for most of my career, so I can more easily accept being told that I can't race for myself. But if you're talking about opportunities, I get more here than at Visma. I'm starting the year in Bessèges as leader, to say the least. Wout van Aert is the leader at Visma, just a very strong rider. So it's normal that he's number one. I learned a lot at Visma and everything was perfectly arranged. I just missed the fire in myself".

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