"Is everyone calling me the favorite?" Primoz Roglic at the Giro d'Italia race presentation

Primoz Roglic is a very particular figure in the world of cycling and in his interviews, his style of talking is unmatched. The leader of Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe will be taking to the start in Albania tomorrow in search of his second pink jersey, and comes directly from an altitude camp which he prioritized over exploring the key stages of this year's race.

“What happened two years ago is something I’ll remember for the rest of my life. Now I’m back, and we’re in for another three weeks full of emotion. I feel good and I’m ready for the battle," Roglic said at the Giro's race presentation.

The Slovenian has won the Vuelta a España on multiple occasions but in 2023 soared to a Giro win, beating Geraint Thomas in a very tight battle that was only decided in the very last 'competitive' day of the race at Monte Lussari where he took the win in the time-trial only kilometers away from Slovenia - which, if he remains healthy, he will get to race in again during the second week this time around.

He comes in with little racing in the legs, but plenty good signs after he won the Volta a Catalunya ahead of his main rival here Juan Ayuso. “What happened earlier this season, like in the Volta a Catalunya, doesn’t matter anymore. We’re all starting from scratch and have to be ready again. I didn’t do any recons, so I’ll just take things day by day. If you look at the stage profiles, it’s pretty clear that the third week is the toughest".

He was obviously asked the tough questions that come with being the man to beat for this Grand Tour, but takes them lightly as always: “Is everyone calling me the favorite? When I look at the start list, I don’t see how I have any sort of edge over the others. It’s nice that people think so, but there are 21 stages in which I’ll have to prove it".

Supported by the likes of Jai Hindley, Daniel Martínez and Giulio Pelllizzari, the German team has serious chances of making a big impact in the mountains if all riders show their best level. “That’s why I don’t know yet which days will end up being decisive. We’ll only know that once the final GC is set after the Giro.”