"Primoz is in the best scenario possible" - Four tense stages in, BORA keep Roglic in striking distance of Giro win

A Grand Tour may be 21 stages long but it can be lost at any moment, even when nothing seems to be unusual. Primoz Roglic knows this all too well, abandoning several of his recent Grand Tours due to crashes which have not allowed him to fight for the win. So far so good at this year's Corsa Rosa, despite the very tense first few stages.

"Primož is in the best scenario possible after Albania, and so is the team," Jan Tratnik said in words to Cyclingnews. "Nobody crashed, everything went perfectly, Primož has taken seconds on his rivals, but he doesn't have the jersey. So like I said, it's perfect."

In words given before the start of stage 4, Tratnik assured that there was a focused Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe built around the veteran. Tratnik himself lost time on stage 1 to then provide Roglic with the chance of following him in the team car during the time-trial, which helped Roglic then perform towards a tremendous time that landed him in the pink jersey.

But with Mads Pedersen in extraordinary form and taking wins left and right, the responsibility of the day's chasing currently relies on Lidl-Trek, and not the German team. Stage 4 was also very dangerous towards the finale, but it was another day ticked off for Roglic. The flat days are by no means rest days for BORA, even if they have no sprinter at the start.

"So even if they say it's easy, if you relax too much, then everything can go wrong," Tratnik adds. "Then we're onto the summit finish climb on stage 7, and we'll need to see. For sure, it's an objective, but I think the most difficult stage of this first part will be the Strade Bianche stage.

"Once again, there, the aim will be to stay out of trouble and for all the GC guys to finish together. That's the big goal - stay up there, stay out of trouble and then after the second rest day the Giro will start."