"Cycling is my job, but my family means everything to me" - Primoz Roglic admits retirement is looming as he skips Vuelta a Espana defence

Primoz Roglic has admitted that thoughts of retirement are growing stronger, even hinting at a possible return to his roots in winter sports once his cycling career draws to a close. Speaking at the Profronde of Etten-Leur in the Netherlands, the Slovenian suggested that his time in the World Tour may be limited, with family priorities and fresh ambitions beginning to take precedence.

“Nowadays it’s about survival, and at my age the day I stop is getting closer,” Roglic told HLN. “I’m not 20 anymore, so naturally I look at my future differently. I want to do other things in life as well. Maybe go back to the winter sports where it all started for me. No, not ski jumping – that’s in the past. But the Winter Olympics? That would be pretty cool, even if for now it’s unrealistic.”

Before a devastating crash forced him to switch disciplines in his early twenties, Roglic was a gifted ski jumper, finishing second at the Junior World Championships. That past life continues to colour his reflections on what comes next. As he joked, turning 40 and flying through the snow at the 2030 Games in the French Alps wouldn’t be the worst way to bow out: “Ageing well, like a fine wine.”

Roglic’s remarks come at a moment when he has chosen to forgo defending his Vuelta a Espana title in order to spend time with his wife and two young children. “I can’t be everywhere anymore,” he said. “At home I have a wife and two children, and they deserve my attention. Cycling is my job, but my family means everything to me. Above all, I’m a loving husband and father – only then a sportsman.”

The 35-year-old recently completed the Tour de France, finishing eighth overall but never looking in contention for stage wins. Even so, he was satisfied with the achievement. “Although I wasn’t always at my best, I genuinely enjoyed making it to the third week and finishing the Tour,” he said. A future Tour return seems unlikely: “I take things day by day.”

Whether Roglic sees out his Red Bull contract or chooses to step away sooner remains to be seen. What is clear is that one of cycling’s most decorated stage racers is beginning to look beyond the bike, openly contemplating what comes next after nearly a decade at the top of the sport.

Pressed directly on his motivation, Roglic gave a typically enigmatic answer: “We’ll see.” He later offered a more candid glimpse into his mindset. “With my age, the day I stop is coming closer. I want to do other things in life too.”