“Red Bull management must get tired of Primoz Roglic... completely idiotic” - Slovenian legend under fire for baffling Tour de Romandie tactics

Primoz Roglic has come under heavy criticism following his ride on stage 2 of the Tour de Romandie, after conceding over two minutes to his general classification rivals in what many viewed as a tactically baffling display.

The reaction came from Eurosport.dk commentators Thomas Bay and Anders Lund during the broadcast of the stage. Roglic, who had started the day sixth overall and just 32 seconds behind Tadej Pogacar, rolled across the finish line alongside teammate Adrien Boichis, appearing relaxed despite the significant time loss.

“It’s Roglic throwing away his general classification and just riding in, even laughing a bit. There must be people in the Red Bull management who get a bit tired of Primoz Roglic from time to time,” Bay said on Eurosport.

The criticism centred not just on the time conceded, but on what it meant for the team’s broader ambitions in the race. “It’s completely idiotic, tactically, in terms of helping Florian Lipowitz and the team. It’s totally unnecessary. It’s yet another strange episode in what is becoming a long list of odd decisions, especially from Roglic,” Lund added.

Bay also questioned the Slovenian’s approach within the race itself. “It’s like he’s riding in his own world. I know he did some work on the climb, but still.”

The context only sharpened the reaction. Stage 2 had not been especially selective, with 31 riders finishing in the same time as stage winner Tadej Pogacar, making Roglic’s loss of more than two minutes all the more striking.

After briefly moving to the front on the climb of Vuillens, Roglic faded from contention and ultimately chose not to contest the finale, instead crossing the line at a markedly reduced pace. That decision effectively removed him from general classification contention, despite starting the day within touching distance of the race lead.

The criticism also pointed to a broader pattern. “It started at last year’s Tour de France, where Lipowitz was fighting for the podium,” Bay said. “Roglic went on the final stages, especially the last mountain stage, and rode what I would call ‘suicide racing’. He rode his own race instead of staying and helping Lipowitz. He even threw away his own fifth place.”

The parallels to Romandie were clear. “Today he throws away his GC again. He goes to the front and does what Pogacar called an attack on the climb, and then he rolls to the finish smiling.”

For the team, the situation carries broader implications. With both Roglic and Florian Lipowitz well placed in the standings heading into the stage, Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe had a numerical advantage over Pogacar that could have been used more effectively. “Their chance in Romandie was that they were numerically strong in the GC, with both Lipowitz and Roglic,” Bay explained.

Instead, that advantage was lost in a single stage. “He almost demonstratively throws away his GC on a stage where it didn’t seem that hard to finish in the same time as the winner, if you have the qualities that Roglic has.”

The team have not publicly explained Roglic’s approach, leaving the reasoning behind his ride open to interpretation.

It remains unclear why he chose to ride on the front earlier in the climb rather than adopting a more aggressive or coordinated tactical approach alongside his teammates. For now, what is clear is the consequence.

On a stage where Tadej Pogacar once again imposed himself on the race, Roglic’s decision has left Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe with one fewer option in the fight for overall victory, and sparked fresh debate over his role within the team.