"Even if I had won the Vuelta, I would have left" - Primoz Roglic

Primoz Roglic's departure from Team Visma | Lease a Bike was a matter of time. The Slovenian admits that he has achieved almost everything he could with the team, and that he would've looked for a new challenge even if he had won the Vuelta a Espana.

“Because it is my responsibility to win races. On the other hand, it wasn't just about me, it was also about the team. And no one deserves it more than Sepp," Roglic told AD. “A few years earlier I taught Jonas and Sepp everything, they still looked up to me and now they were numbers 1 and 2 for me. We made history and I was part of it. But even if I had won the Vuelta, I would have left. I simply have greater opportunities elsewhere to achieve what I am still fighting for. But if the moment doesn't come again, I have no regrets.”

The 34-year old has won the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España, and currently has as the clear objective to win the Tour de France. However, with Jonas Vingegaard displaying superior climbing abilities and focusing on the Tour de France once again next season - and possibly others - there would be no knowing when Roglic would have the great chance of leading a team and attempting that goal. Hence he had decided to move on to another team, and found a strong block in BORA - hansgrohe where he was part of the winter's most important and costly transfer.

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His departure from the Dutch team wasn't on bad terms however, “more like a natural one," he believes. "I have achieved the maximum I could with Jumbo. It got to the point where I had to leave. It doesn't detract from how happy I was on the podium in Madrid. Hopefully I will be even happier in future photos and in a different jersey.”