It is official. The worst news have been confirmed by Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe this morning: Primoz Roglic has abandoned the Tour de France as a result of the high-speed crash suffered on stage 12, leaving the German team without a leader and breaking the Slovenian's heart.
"Primož Roglič underwent careful examination by our medical team after yesterday’s stage and again this morning. The decision has been taken that he will not start today, to focus on upcoming goals," Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe wrote in a statement this Friday morning, confirming the worst news. "We wish you a speedy recovery Primož".
This comes as an absolute heartbreak for Roglic who made the move to the German team last winter with the sole and major goal of aiming for the Tour win, something he was close to achieving in 2020. Ever since, Roglic has started and crashed out of the 2021 and 2022 Tours. In 2023 he skipped the race so as to prepare for the Giro d'Italia - which he won - and the Vuelta a España, but his clear lack of a sole leadership at the Tour saw him make the move out.
In BORA he found a team fully backing him up, and the victory at the Criterium du Dauphiné was the best sign he could've received ahead of the Grand Boucle. In the race, he had not been able to match Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard, but sat fourth in the overall classification at the start of stage 12, 2:15 minutes down on the yellow jersey. He struggled on the gravel stage and crashed on stage 11, but miraculously he did not lose any unnecessary time on his rivals on both days, keeping his chances alive with an unusual bout of luck.
That luck would end on stage 12 as in a crash with 10 kilometers to go, the Slovenian couldn't avoid a crash that happened in front of him in the peloton due to road furniture. He hit the ground at speed. Roglic did not suffer fractures but it was already evident by Red Bull - BORA's non-urgent pace to the finish that Roglic was far from his best physicial shape, also with an ripped jersey and exposed shoulder wound.
The team added that they would only decide this morning if Roglic would continue the race, now in sixth place in the overall classification, but ultimately the response was negative. He will focus on the Vuelta a España later in the year, but now BORA is left without a leader after both he and Aleksandr Vlasov were forced to abandon the race.
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