Danny van Poppel is confident in Primoz Roglic after weak Paris-Nice performance: "We’re not worried about him"

From leading-out Sam Welsford and sprinting for his own results in smaller competitions to taking care of GC stars of the cycling peloton such as Primoz Roglic - Danny van Poppel can do it all. And that is precisely why BORA - hansgrohe value the 30-year-old Dutchman so highly that they secured him on a long-term deal not so long ago.

Setting off at La Primavera, Van Poppel wore the number 31, usually designated to team leaders. Was he then the "Number 1 on a jersey usually means something, but not now. We didn’t have a specific leader for Milano-Sanremo, so we are giving some guys a chance, and I was one of them," Van Poppel said with a laugh in an interview with IDLProCycling.com. 

At Paris-Nice, Van Poppel had a chance to race alongside Primoz Roglic for the first time since 2019. "It was great. I know Roglic from my Jumbo days. He's a super relaxed guy. He plays it down, but is super professional. I like that, someone who gives their all and lives a hundred percent for their profession. It makes the people helping you even more motivated."

The Slovenian didn't turn heads at his debut in new outfit, when he finished 10th overall, even behind teammate Aleksandr Vlasov. "We’re not worried about his tenth place in the overall standings, especially since he stays calm himself. It was his first race for a new team, and he did his best. That’s all you can do. The long term, this summer, is the big goal."