"I will choose races where Tadej will not be there" jokes Primoz Roglic in preview of 2025 campaign

Primoz Roglic embarked on a first season in the colours of Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe in 2024. Although his ultimate goal of the Tour de France didn't come to fruition, a record-equalling 4th Vuelta a Espana victory, plus other triumphs ensured it was still a successful season for the Slovenian.

"Improvements are possible in all areas," was Roglic's immediate assessment in an in-depth conversation with the Slovenian outlet Siol however. "It's a huge team, in which there are, I'm talking off the top of my head, about a hundred people. It takes some time before you get to know all the competitors and staff. Of course, it's different, however you put it, the culture is also different, it's really a completely new environment and we need time to we're getting used to it. But considering everything we've put together this year, we're not going to complain."

The aforementioned Vuelta victory was the undoubted highlight, but the Criterium du Dauphine overall victory and being part of Slovenia's World Championship winning team, assisting Tadej Pogacar in Zurich have given Roglic plenty to reflect warmly on at the end of the season. "Given the start of the season and the whole lot of inconveniences and setbacks we experienced, I would sign for this immediately," Roglic admits. 

The season ended slightly earlier than expected though, as the 34-year-old decided to conclude his campaign before Il Lombardia. "I simply came to the end, I emptied the tank for this season. Everything was not exactly optimal and I took the Vuelta a little bit under pressure... I was simply not good enough anymore and it was necessary to finish the season, rest and slowly look towards the next season," the Slovenian explains honestly about the reason for the premature season end. 

As for the 2025 season, Roglic is yet to fully work out a plan of attack. "I will choose races where Tadej will not be there. We still have to agree on that," he jokes. "We'll see, I haven't thought about the race program in detail yet."

With the Giro d'Italia making a trip across the border to Slovenia though, there's much to tempt the former Maglia Rosa winner back to the first Grand Tour of the season. "We can only imagine how it will be, when the Giro will pass through here," assesses the 2023 Giro d'Italia winner. "But first I have to 'reset' and some time on the 'off', and then we will think about where I will race next year."