Jumbo-Visma DS: "Primoz is very confident that he can still beat guys like Evenepoel, Pogacar and Vingegaard"
Cycling
Primoz Roglic has recently confirmed that he will be aiming towards the Giro d'Italia in 2023, as the Slovenian looks to return to a sole leadership position, whilst Jonas Vingegaard and Wout van Aert return to the Tour de France in search of reconsolidating their glory.
“He's still in rehab. Primoz is progressing, training well and has already been able to put in a lot of hours during the training camp in the past two weeks," team DS Merijn Zeeman said in an interview with In de Leiderstrui.
“He is ahead of schedule that we had in mind and is making rapid progress. The shoulder needs time and so he is not allowed to race yet, but he can work his hours in the gym and on the bike. It is now about training, training, training. In February he will join us for a training camp and then we expect that he can start in [Volta a] Catalunya at the end of March," he continued.
Following many injuries to his right shoulder, alongside several crashes this season, Roglic decided to undergo a surgery to improve his chances of not going from dislocations again. That has seen him in total three months off the bike, but he's been recently given the green light to return to training. It was unsure where he would be focusing, but the Corsa Rosa it is, as said in the team presentation.
“In the Giro there is an incredibly tough course, with everything in it: time trials, explosive finishes, long climbs at altitude, an incredibly tough third week. It's up to us to get Primoz back to Remco's time trial level, Evenepoel is now one step ahead of us," he continued. The two were very evenly matched this season at the Vuelta a Espana where they entered the final week in first and second place, before Roglic abandoned due to a dramatic crash at the end of stage 16.
The race will consist of 70 kilometers of time-trialing and an incredibly hard and mountainou final week. “And then comes that last week, for which you need very specific qualities. Primoz is a favourite, Remco is a favourite, Geraint Thomas is a favourite, and some men will come around to make it very difficult for them," Zeeman added.
“Primoz is very confident that he can still beat guys like Evenepoel, [Tadej] Pogacar and [Jonas] Vingegaard at his age and so are we. He was still Olympic time-trial champion in 2021, wasn't he? That was not so long ago. Will he still be able to win the Tour in the future? Yes, I think so," he says, standing by his rider, a three-time Vuelta a Espana winner and one of the most prolific stage-racers in modern cycling.
Although the Dutch team will primarily have it's focus on the Tour, Roglic will still have strong support in Italy. “If you want to win a Grand Tour, you have to start with a very strong team. We need guys like that to go for the overall win and we have hope that Wilco can really go with the best, to be with Primoz that much."
Time-trial World Champion Tobias Foss is set to ride the Giro in support of Roglic, as are new signings Wilco Kelderman and Jan Tratnik. Rumours emerge over the possible presence of Koen Bouwman, Robert Gesink, Edoardo Affini and neo-pro Michel Hessmann. For many, a luxurious support crew, however one that is likely to change until May.
“There are of course scenarios that something happens and you have to switch and that is also a quality of ours. However, Wilco and Tobias are there for Primoz and to win the pink jersey with him," he concluded.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- I see (elsewhere) that Alaphilippe had more to say than what got relayed in this stub. Me: he was very good early but his latter third trajectory was the pits. His old boss did what he could (huffed and puffed) but Julian couldn't get his greatness back. Sometimes I wonder if crashes that didn't look like much changed the course of the rider.flyer14-11-2026
- I wouldn't classify it as a gift because the nasty consequences of taking it from Sepp would have been great and would persist and he knew it.flyer14-11-2026
- Ok. Tratnik's good and Red Bull's better so Tratnik may get what he wants.flyer14-11-2026
- Ok. So just saying he wasn't enjoying racing anymore is some kind of explanation? Me saying I don't enjoy his explanation is more explaining than he did.flyer14-11-2026
- Buitrago, was he their best rider in 2026? He's the chief loss for them and Martinez and Tiberi (especially) have to step up or they will be overtaken by Bahrain's younger riders like Omrzel. I'm still somewhat high on Martinez but Tiberi, after showing signs of promise, has fizzled. Bahrain still has a good team but they need to improve and exceed expectations. I'd be happy if Mohoric could manage to return to his better form for maybe one last year at least.flyer14-11-2026
- Hmmm, "... I just gained 30 seconds purely off the bike. Because it's really a big, big improvement compared to the previous bike". Is that marketing for Specialized or serious valid hype, or something in between? Very likely the former.flyer14-11-2026
- Nothing revelatory or controversial. Why do we have to report on Bruyneel's or Armstrong's thinking. It's a shame and enough that the Move's on TV and that people watch it .flyer14-11-2026
- Makes sense that training from home is a big asset or advantage but it's still remarkable that he can put in three quality majors and not pay some heavy price for the exertion. I wish he would have won that tour stage that his crash while leading allowed Carapaz the win. He's a darn good rider and teammate.flyer14-11-2026
- Sounds like we all agree with the over under exaggeration: "The German’s signing does not guarantee that Evenepoel will win the Tour in 2027. "flyer14-11-2026
- Seixas appears to be that good but if he isn't (an absolute rival to Pogacar) he would have plenty of company in rising stars that did not go on to fully meet the expectations of many. That Pogacar wasn't the greatest (as great) sooner can't be transposed onto another's development. It may be not that simple.flyer14-11-2026
Loading
Write a comment