In 2025,
Primoz Roglic is doubling up in his Grand Tour quests with both the
Giro d'Italia and the
Tour de France on the radar of the Slovenian and it's fair to say that the
Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe are confident of their team leader bringing home at least one general classification win.
In an early warning shot to his rivals, Roglic took an impressive overall victory at the
Volta a Catalunya. "I’d say the signs were excellent. But honestly, someone like Primoz doesn’t need to give answers - we’ve never had any real doubts about him. I prefer to describe his performance as a statement," sports director
Enrico Gasparotto explains in conversation with
Bici.Pro. "He raced with freedom and confidence. He’s known for being patient and using his strong sprint at the end or going for short, sharp attacks. But in the final stage in Barcelona, he gave us a real show."
"It was a strong signal. Believe me when I tell you, Primoz never lines up at a race just to finish second - he always races to win," continues the DS. "At Algarve, his season opener, he knew he wasn’t at his peak. He went in with a clear head and no pressure, but still ended strongly with a good time trial. Catalunya suits him even better, so I had a feeling he was aiming for the win there."
Now in his second season with the Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe team, Roglic has impressed Gasparotto as much with his personality as his quality on the bike. "Primoz has always been a calm guy. Except when he had to pull out of the Tour - that really hit him hard. But let’s not forget: he has an incredible palmarès and doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone," he explains. "What’s great is that he still genuinely enjoys this. He likes going up to Teide early - he actually enjoys being there. It’s a special place for him. He loves the process of preparing for goals. When you still find joy in what you do, that peace of mind comes naturally."
The first big focus of the year though, is the Giro d'Italia, where Roglic is set to renew rivalries with
Juan Ayuso. "Let’s be clear - Catalunya is not the Giro. The Giro is three weeks of racing, and it’s full of surprises - arguably even more than the Tour," says Gasparotto. "There are lots of tough, unpredictable stages where you can never switch off. That’s what makes the Giro so unique. We respect everyone - Ayuso and the rest - but our focus is on doing our homework to be in the best shape possible. We’re analysing stages, rivals, even weather patterns."
"After the Giro, there’s the Tour de France. He’s done double Grand Tours before, and every time, he’s won the second one - usually the Vuelta," Gasparotto adds in conclusion. "But that was at the end of the season. This time, the Tour comes mid-season, and then there’s a very tough, climber-friendly World Championship after that."