"There was a miscommunication" - BORA and Primoz Roglic struggle and lose time on Algarve's summit finish
Cycling
Cycling is a complex sport and although at times riders and teams make it look easy and composed, more often than not that isn't the case. Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe have made a mistake on stage 2 of the Volta ao Algarve, Jan Tratnik admits, and Primoz Roglic has lost meaningful time over an error in communication.
Jan Tratnik talked to journalist Daniel Benson after the stage and explained the team's tactics. "The goal was to make the race as hard as possible on that climb. Primoz was a bit at the back, and then there was a miscommunication. I didn't know whether I should ride in front or not, but then Primoz came forward and I thought he had good legs".
BORA pushed the pace hard in the penultimate climb to Pomba, with Roglic himself attacking - and then doing so again in the descent - but it was never clear the reason for the move. The Slovenian didn't make the difference, and then isolated, the team couldn't chase the winning move of a small group including Jan Christen.
"We tried, because this climb was a bit more distinctive, but in the end it was more of a cat and mouse game," Tratnik explains. This doesn't come as a surprise taking into consideration the climbs' characteristics, but in the end the German team saw Roglic spend more time than hoped in the wind, and in the final kilometer he lacked his usual explosivity. Eventually he raced to ninth on the day only, losing a few seconds to João Almeida and Jonas Vingegaard who are still expected to be his main rivals for the final time-trial.
However, when it comes to the overall victory, it certainly puts the veteran on the back foot. Nevertheless, Tratnik is not too pessimistic over the performance, and was happy to race with his compatriot in the mountains once again. "It was good. It was the first race with Primoz, and we are slowly getting there".
""It is the start of the season, and we still have time for the bigger goals. We were not lucky in Bessèges, because cars cancelled the race. But I know that I am in good shape, so I really want to test myself here," he assured.
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🇵🇹 #VoltaAoAlgarve
— Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe (@RBH_ProCycling) February 20, 2025
An uphill finish decided today's 2nd stage of the Volta ao Algarve. Primož Roglič finished 9th, 13 seconds behind winner Jan Christen.#redbullborahansgrohe
📷 @GettySport pic.twitter.com/bmfXZmRJB4
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- I get the point totally. We live in the snowflake society where some riders forget they are getting paid to ride and get results. When they have a few issues they try to look outside of the real issue instead of themselves. It odd so many of the team are making no complaints and getting on with their job. If you do not like what you do find another job simples. Tough love as my mum would say.paultryan200207-11-2026
- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
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