"It is up to us to strike in the final week" - Primoz Roglic and Red Bull have Vuelta mission as they try to keep pace with red jersey Mas
CyclingThursday, 03 September 2026 at 12:35
Primoz Roglic is still firmly in the fight to win his fifth Vuelta a Espana title at the age of 36-years-old. After 11 stages, he sits in second place and 1:18 off the pace of Enric Mas in the red jersey fight.
After Tadej Pogacar's unexpected departure from the race over the weekend, Roglic, Mas and the other general classification leaders find themselves in an unexpected battle for victory, rather than the podium.
With Mas seemingly the stronger of the GC contenders in the high mountains, Roglic has offered glimpses of his old self in multiple stages so far in this edition. The Red Bull - BORA Hansgrohe veteran is hoping to stay within striking range of Mas as he hopes to find better legs in the final week.
“I would sign right now for being in the same situation on the second rest day,” Sven Vanthourenhout told HLN. “The gap to Mas could even grow by another minute and a half. Then it is up to us to strike in the final week.”
Primoz Roglic
Roglic dealing with fatigue and could improve
Dealing with fatigue and managing a three-week race is something well within the Slovenian's locker and his team director Vanthourenhout sees the potential for an improvement in the final week.
“He knows perfectly well what is still to come, how his legs will feel in the third week and how to deal with the fatigue.
“Most importantly, he knows that in the final week he will at least be at the same level he is now, and probably improve another percentage point.”
Roglic crashed in training just weeks before La Vuelta, and it only served to further increase doubts around his general classification hopes given his lower level of form shown since last season.
Doubts before Vuelta
“Primoz came here with enormous doubts, and we also had no idea how good he really was. He hadn’t shown in any stage race this year that he was still the Roglic of old, and then there was that crash a few weeks before the Vuelta.”
Speaking of the dynamics between rider and team, Vanthourenhout said his role is to push the rider to follow the process and give him the best chance of winning the Vuelta - noting that his power data has backed up their bullish ambitions.
“My goal is not for Primoz to like me. I try to do my job as well as possible. When it comes to details such as recovery, I keep pushing until I know he is fully committed to what we are doing and to his teammates.
“We have a leader who knows what it takes to win the Vuelta and who is getting better step by step. All the data shows that as well.”
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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