"That's how cycling works. It is a team sport" - After breakthrough Giro in 2022 Koen Bouwman now set to ride in support for Primoz Roglic
Cycling
One of the breakthrough stars of the 2022 Giro d'Italia, Koen Bouwman took home a pair of stage wins and the King of the Mountains jersey. This time around however, his personal goals will be sacrificed for the team goal of getting Primoz Roglic into pink.
"There is no room for your own opportunities and your own ambition," says Bouwman in an interview with NOS. "They're in the fridge for a while. I understand that the Dutch cycling followers sometimes hope for more, but that's how cycling works. It is a team sport."
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Roglic will begin the race as one of the favourites for overall victory. A three-time former Vuelta a Espana winner, Roglic is yet to win the Giro d'Italia, something he will be looking to change over the coming three weeks. "I ride the same races as Primoz and then I really ride in his service. I like to do that too. I am hopeful that he can win," says Bouwman. "He has won all the stage races he has ridden this season. So he's very good at it. But if there is an opportunity, I will of course seize it with both hands."
"I don't have the talent to win the Giro, Tour de France or Vuelta a España. I'm not good enough for that," the 29-year-old continues. "Maybe I'll aspire to a different role in the future. But that also depends on my schedule for the rest of the season. If I also ride the Vuelta, it will be a difficult story. Otherwise it is possible, for example, that I get a free role during the Dutch National Championships."
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- i did not see it. was the relegation justified or an overly hard decision? and don‘t cross riders deviate from straight lines all the time? bumping into each others when they cut corners, etc … why being more strict with the rules on the finish sprint?Ketterechts08-11-2026
- seems like we are advertising the website with pointless comments…Ketterechts08-11-2026
- So?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- The UCI do have their favorites.
Front24208-11-2026 - On a positive note, you maybe notice turning this topic into a discussion has the benefit of eliminating certain participants who do not see how they can turn it back to their sole interest ;-)Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
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- That may be but that was unknown to others and nothing says that’s the whole truth. Again, don’t try to misinterpret, it is a call and technically it is correct. Besides, even if there is a valid reason, that does not disqualify the ruling or punishment as far as the rules have been developed. I don’t think they’re as far as in football where for handball there is a distinction (in some ways and specific cases) between intentional or not. And football can be just as harsh and people live with it, eg the offside rule, also judged to within tiny fractions but often wrong or ignored. It’s the nature of every collective organisation and sometimes I wonder if our rebellion against it isn’t seated in the feelings we carry from the injustices we’ve felt personally, like being flashed driving 1km/h too fast when we are explained limits are just a security measure but we are absolutely certain not to have endangered anyone with our transgression. The problem is, nobody has better solutions and no 2 people have the same interpretation of where a limit should be.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- Because for you deviated implies the other rider MUST have been made to fall and fail to finish ??? I don’t know if you ride a bike but next time someone carves you up or drives dangerously close, just hold back from those feelings of changing something, reporting or filming or even complaining. Everyone will just say, hey you’re still here undamaged, doesn’t seem like anyone did anything.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
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- And yet, it attracts people, even you. What’s more, it attracts the rival fanboys to fill cyberspace with endless pointless my hero is better than your hero blabla that’s all been heard before and only helps sell the site as an advertising platform. You know what the solution is but most can’t resist. No different than women who follow and discuss celebs through gossip magazines.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
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🇮🇹 #Giro Unfortunately, covid strikes again. 🦠 Besides Wilco Kelderman, also Tobias Foss and Robert Gesink will be replaced in the Giro d’Italia. Jos van Emden and Rohan Dennis are their substitutes.
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