Johan Bruyneel agrees with Primoz Roglic's decision: "If he wanted to make another attempt at winning the Tour de France, he had to leave"

Primoz Roglic was the headliner of this transfer season. His move from Jumbo-Visma to BORA - hansgrohe was a relative sudden move, with an enormous financial stake involved as well. Johan Bruyneel has commented on the topic and believes that everyone is a winner in the situation. Additionally, that the Dutch team is correct in aiming for the signing of Cian Uijtdebroeks.

"Roglic had the feeling that he had to continue. If he wanted to make another attempt at winning the Tour de France, he had to leave," Bruyneel said in The Move podcast. "Visma | Lease a Bike logically puts everything on Jonas Vingegaard, so I think Richard Plugge has made a very smart move. For me it is the transfer of the year, in every respect. Roglic has a three-year contract (correction: it is two years, ed.) or an amount that is rumored to be six million euros per year, which is huge. I heard that he earned four million euros a year at Jumbo-Visma and the lump sum paid for him would be three million euros, so Plugge has earned seven million euros for next year. That's a nice co-sponsor, without having to give away space on your jersey. A smart move."

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Financially speaking, the Dutch team gained a buffer in a winter where they had a challenge ahead. The team lost Jumbo as a title sponsor and needed to ensure financial viability to keep it's star-studded roster. After the demise of the possibility of the merger with Soudal - Quick-Step, the team ultimately found a solution with the new secondary sponsor Lease a Bike. However results wise they lose one of their stars, and gain extra competition from the Slovenian.

"Primoz is in the autumn of his career, let's say. He still wins his race, but it makes sense that they put everything on Vingegaard," Bruyneel argues. "Sepp Kuss, Wout van Aert and some new guys." However, he believes the German team are also winners in this move and can assemble a lineup capable of matching some of the best: "BORA-hansgrohe is doing very well, it is also an interesting transfer for them. They should not be underestimated, they were already doing well and they also signed Daniel Felipe Martínez. If that combination with Roglic works, they can be very dangerous."

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The two may be involved in a high-level transfer next winter as well, as Cian Uijtdebroeks is on his way out from BORA and is highly regarded by the wealthiest teams. Amongst those is Jumbo-Visma, team CEO Richard Plugge admitted recently. INEOS Grenadiers and Lidl-Trek are also rumoured to be in contacts.

"He has done great for someone of twenty years old and has a great future ahead of him, but after the arrival of Roglic he also drops one place in the pecking order. There are teams interested, but he has a contract for next year. At the moment they assume he will stay, but if you are sure you say he will definitely stay, right? I heard that INEOS is in pole position."

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