Primoz Roglic to miss Tour de France, Merijn Zeeman confirms: "We have other plans"

Questions have been thrown on whether Primoz Roglic will head to the Tour de France after winning the Giro d'Italia, the Slovenian himself doesn't know and has given cryptic answers. A more direct response has been given by team DS Merijn Zeeman however who says that is not the plan.

"We will never forget that day, but last year the circle was already complete when we managed to win the yellow jersey with this team. With that, the previous time trial was actually erased," Zeeman said in an interview Op1. "We were really working on the Giro now, we could also see from his power data that he was getting better and better in recent days. We were very confident that it would work. You learn and gain experience, that is also top sport."

The Slovenian carried great form into the final week and, despite long months of preparation, seems motivated to target the Tour de Suisse after some rest. Having won virtually all high-level stage-races in cycling, the Swiss race is one of the few that remain. The Vuelta a Espana, World Championships and Il Lombardia may be big goals later in the year as well.

Jumbo-Visma has been having eight riders which could constitute the Tour de France block training at altitude in Tenerife. Sepp Kuss should be present, with Wilco Kelderman first back-up, but it is clear that the Dutch team despite having supported Roglic into a Grand Tour win, have enough quality riders to have a logic and fixed selection towards the Tour. In this one, Roglic will likely not have space, and instead focus on targets where he'd have better chances of helping the team's overall goals.

"We have other plans. But in the end one thing in cycling is very important to know: he has been on the road with the team for four months non-stop, with a few days at home now and then," Zeeman explains, adding further reason why not only it'll be difficult to maintain form throughout the summer, but also psychologically it may not be plausible to keep the Slovenian in such a heavy schedule.

"That is the basis for a top performance, but you also need the same period for the Tour. It is very tempting to think that it can now also be the same in the Tour, but the laws of top sport are very hard. This is the result of a very long process, but you also need such a process for a good Tour or Vuelta."