"It was all or nothing" – Proud but costly Primoz Roglic falls short on Tour de France stage 19

Primoz Roglic spent the last two mountain stages of the Tour de France throwing caution to the wind. The 35-year-old Slovenian launched two long-range attacks that thrilled spectators but ultimately cost him more than they gained. Once sitting fifth overall, Roglic now finds himself in eighth place, having lost over 12 minutes in his pursuit of stage glory. But for a five-time Grand Tour winner, defending a top-five GC finish was never the point.

"It was all or nothing, and in the end, it was almost nothing. But I gave it my all and enjoyed it. At least I was on TV. If not at the end, then after the start," Roglič said with a laugh on TVSLO. Asked if he had any regrets about his strategy, his answer was clear: "I wouldn't."

Roglic is set to finish the Tour for the first time in five years. He famously lost the yellow jersey to Tadej Pogacar on the penultimate stage in 2020, then crashed out in 2021, 2022, and again in 2024. Now, with Pogacar poised to take his fourth title, Roglic's all-in moves came not from desperation for glory, but from freedom. He is no longer racing with a desire to win the GC, but more to show that he still has what it takes on the greatest stage.

But the cost of those attacks wasn't just time, it was money. Team director Bernhard Eisel told Eurosport, "Roglic would have loved to win the stage, but in the end, it didn't work out." Fifth place in Paris brings €50,000 in prize money; eighth place, just €7,600.

"For us as colleagues, it would have been great if Roglic had finished fourth or fifth, but we know his palmares and we have to respect that. He fought for it," Eisel said. "The Tour is still two days away, and we're in a good position."

Roglic came into the Tour off the back of a brutal Giro d’Italia where he crashed countless times and abandoned. After the first week of the Tour, things were not looking promising for Roglic. But, he has grown into the race and his fitness has improved, and in the last few days he has looked more like the rider and champion that we know best.

Behind Roglic, the team focused on Florian Lipowitz, who now looks set to finish third overall and claim the white jersey in stunning fashion. "He sometimes doesn't know how strong he is, and then doubts arise, but he fought very hard and really deserves it," Eisel added. "I don't think it was a risk to leave him alone on the final climb. The difference was only 20 seconds, so that wouldn't have helped much. We had hoped Roglic could keep up, but with the extremely high pace, that wasn't possible. In the end, Lipo did really well."

Lipowitz, for his part, stayed grounded despite his breakthrough performance this July. "After yesterday, I knew Oscar was very strong, and I had to hold his wheel. I think I did quite well today. Of course, I was thinking a lot on the last climb. You never know how your legs will ultimately be, but I felt pretty good, and when I saw him drop, I gave it my all. I'm super happy with today."

"It's unbelievable, but I expect another tough day tomorrow, with lots of ups and downs," Lipowitz said. "Everyone will try to keep up, so we have to stay focused. Today was amazing. It was incredible to see so many fans cheering me on, to see my name painted on the road. I'd never seen that before. I got goosebumps during the race."