Primoz Roglic excels in GP de Denain cobbles: "I learned things I wasn't used to"

It was a rough day of racing in Denain, as besides the race win we have seen several Tour de France contenders on the startline to test their classics racing. Primoz Roglic excelled, as he was not only part of the race but actively fighting for the victory.

"It was a special and difficult day, but it went well. It's totally different, riding on cobblestones. I learned things I wasn't used to, like the nervousness before the cobbled sections. Positioning is essential, which also makes it dangerous. I am not dissatisfied with the final result, because the result was not the main goal for today;" Roglic said after the race. Although he was in Denain to test himself, he had the legs to follow the collective INEOS attack with 30 kilometers to go and was part of the group that almost made it to the finish, showing confidence in the rough sectors the race had to offer.

As for Jonas Vingegaard he was distanced from the peloton after suffering a puncture in a crucial moment of the race, not being able to latch back on to the group.

Stage five of the Tour de France will take place in northern France with several cobbled sectors to be tackled. Jumbo-Visma and INEOS Grenadiers came to Denain with the purpose of studying the sectors in a recon ride some days ago, and today at the race they were keen on testing everything in race environment.

Team DS Grischa Niermann was also satisfied with the outcome of today's race: "We were here to test the guys and the equipment, and Primoz did a super job. We learned a lot concerning the cobbled stage in the Tour de France. Racing on cobblestones is different than reconnaissance. Jonas was without a chance after his puncture in the second local lap. Apart from Lennard's crash, we can reflect on today with satisfaction because we did what we came for. Today has made us much better with a view to the summer."