Primoz Roglic's teammate denied Grand Tour debut at Giro d'Italia: "It was a disappointment not to be at the start of the Giro; that hit me hard"
Cycling
Primoz Roglic made good first steps towards his possible second Giro d'Italia title. So far his teammate from Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe have done a convicing job protecting their leader, however that doesn't concern Frederik Wandahl. The Dane was for a long time on team's lineup, but eventually got crossed out in April.
"A week before the Volta a Catalunya, the team already said they were going in a different direction," he confesses in an interview with Danish newspaper Feltet. The argument was that we have others in the team who are better at leading on the flat. That wasn't for me."
It's a blow for the 24-year-old who was already looking forward to racing in Italy. "I was very disappointed because I felt I would ride the Giro. For me, it was always the intention to play a leading role, even though it would be my first Grand Tour."
"It was a disappointment not to be at the start of the Giro; that hit me hard," Wandahl continues. "I wouldn't say that this decision is ruining my relationship with the team, but I haven't signed a contract extension yet. We are discussing it, and I hope a solution will be found within a few weeks, whatever that may be. I still feel safe with this team, but you always have to consider other options."
While the negotiations of his future are still on-going, the Dane can try to prove his team wrong for not selecting the all-rounder at simultaneous Tour de Hongrie. "I now try to look ahead and use my good form to race hard. In Hungary, I am going for the podium in the GC."
Later this year, Wandahl is really hoping to compete at the Vuelta a España. Hopefully, this won't clash with team plans as the Vuelta would fit nicely into four-time winner Roglic's schedule if he were to skip the Tour... "It's very important that I ride a Grand Tour this year. This is my fifth year with the team."
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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