Primoz Roglic gains confidence ahead of second Giro d'Italia ITT: "I'm not afraid of tomorrow"

In stage eight of the Giro d'Italia the time had come: Primož Roglič's first attack that could really threaten Remco Evenepoel.

"This was the ideal day to try something myself," said the Jumbo-Visma leader against Het Nieuwsblad.

“Why did it take until today before I tried to put Remco Evenepoel under pressure? You can always make all kinds of plans, but the reality is sometimes just different. I'm always ready to grab any chance that comes my way. That final climb today was tough and steep, but I had the legs and was good. I am satisfied with my condition. But the opposition is also very strong.”

Roglič remarkably drove the world champion out of the wheel uphill. In the flatter end he managed to gain fourteen seconds on his major competitor, thanks to the help of Tao Geoghegan Hart and Geraint Thomas, who were able to follow him. “It is very nice that I was able to work with them at the end. I'm glad they helped me out."

In tomorrow's time trial, the roles can quickly reverse. In the opening time trial, the Slovenian lost 43 seconds to Evenepoel. But that does not mean that Roglič is not excited about the upcoming chrono ride. "I'm not afraid of tomorrow," he added.

Primož Roglič reduced his timelag to his biggest competitor, Remco Evenepoel to only 30 seconds but the upcoming ITT might shake things up completely. It's widely expected that one of the two will be wearing Maglia Rosa on the first rest day.