"Of course I would have liked to be at 100 percent" - Primoz Roglic possibly still feeling effect of injuries at Giro d'Italia

Primoz Roglic had a less good day at the Giro d'Italia yesterday, shedding some time in the first true battle up the mountains in this race. He had great support of Jumbo-Visma to limit losses in the end, but he and team were left disappointed they couldn't strike.

“I'm not the only one racing here. Like I said I'm still recovering, but I'm okay, huh. I'm happy," Roglic said in an interview with AD. “Of course I would have liked to be at 100 percent. But I'm still here, so I'm happy." Short and relatively vague, as always, the Slovenian hinted at attacks on stage 16 and did not reveal his ambitions for the first day of the final week. 

Those were ultimately of pushing the pace and attacking the race. Jumbo-Visma took responsibility over the peloton throughout the whole day and well into the final ascent. One by one all the team's members did their share of work at the front which reeled the breakaway in, but when João Almeida launched his first attack the difficulties seemed apparent.

Sepp Kuss had refused to pass to the front, and in the toughest part of Monte Bondone Geraint Thomas then dropped the Slovenian to join an offensive Almeida. Roglic had Kuss as crucial support into the finish, and limited the losses to 25 seconds. It isn't ambition-changing losses on stage 16, Roglic arrived together with Eddie Dunbar to the finish and will start stage 17 29 seconds back on Geraint Thomas, in third position in the GC.