"I hope that somehow I will recover for Saturday" - Jan Tratnik feeling the effects of Giro/Tour double and plays down Olympic medal hopes

Team Visma | Lease a Bike's Jan Tratnik has had a very busy calendar already in 2024 with both the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France in his legs, plus the Tour de Romandie, the Volta ao Algarve and a number of Belgian classics. Currently representing Slovenia at the Olympic Games, the 34-year-old is beginning to feel the tiredness in his legs.

"Giro/Tour (and all season long) did quite some damage to my body," Tratnik, who finished a lowly 27th in the Olympic men's time trial last weekend, nearly three and a half minutes down on gold medal winner Remco Evenepoel, writes in reflection via a post on his official Instagram account.

"Technical problem destroyed my mental side. Not the easiest moments for me, but doesn’t matter what happened, it’s already in the past," Tratnik continues his assessment of the time trial, before turning his attentions to the upcoming men's elite road race on Saturday 3rd of August where another Olympic gold medal will be on the line for the peloton.

"Now I hope that somehow I will recover till Saturday and I’m ready to give my best, like always. Even if I’m like a snail you never know what Saturday will bring," the winner of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in 2024, concludes. "I just want to finish this period proud and giving all that is in my power."

After Tadej Pogacar's withdrawal from the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, Tratnik will joined in the Slovenian lineup by the trio of the vastly experienced Luka Mezgec, gravel world champion Matej Mohoric and Pogacar's UAE Team Emirates teammate, Domen Novak.