Primoz Roglic: "It’s too soon to say if I’ll ride the Giro in 2023"

Primoz Roglic's goals remained undefined for 2023, and as the Slovenian returns to the bike and will soon begin serious preparations for the coming season, all will depend on how his form evolves over the opening months of the season to decide on his Grand Tour selection.

“I don’t know when I’ll get back to racing, maybe in March. I’m very far behind,” Roglič told La Gazzetta dello Sport in an interview at the team's ongoing training camp in Spain. “2023 is a mystery: I don’t know if I’ll do the Giro or the Tour or the Vuelta, there’s no point in saying it. In January, we’ll understand more. I’ll certainly do a totally different program, with fewer races in spring, and I’ll be better for the summer.”

Roglic was forced to abandon both Tour de France and Vuelta a Espana due to his injuries. After abandoning the Spanish race, where he was sitting in second place ahead of the final days of racing, he decided to take time off his bike, and underwent surgery on his shoulder to prevent further dislocations, which have on several occasions affected him during races.

Recently, he's been given the green light to return to the bike, almost three months after. “The important thing was to get back riding before the training camp. I’m happy, I don’t have pain now. Before I couldn’t sleep and I couldn’t swim. That was my first victory," he added. Jonas Vingegaard and Wout van Aert will likely target the Tour de France, whilst Roglic is a possibility for the Giro d'Italia seeing the Tour victory has been achieved this year, and the time-trial heavy Giro should suit him better.

“The Giro is also a race I’d like to win, like Il Lombardia. It’s too soon to say if I’ll ride the Giro in 2023, maybe it comes too soon because of the problems I’ve had. But my work at the Tour isn’t finished either," he continued, keeping the doubts alive.

He was asked what he was missing from his palmarès, as the Slovenian has become one of the most prominent winners from this generation. “I’m missing what I haven’t won starting with the rainbow jersey, I wouldn’t choose between the road and the time trial,” he responded.