"They all surpass themselves" - Primoz Roglic's influence on his BORA - hansgrohe teammates cannot be understated says Rolf Aldag

In his first bit of competitive bike riding since being caught up in the Itzulia Basque Country horror crash earlier this year, Primoz Roglic has looked excellent. Taking two stage wins, the Slovenian enters the final stage firmly in the Maillot Jaune at the 2024 Criterium du Dauphine.

With the Criterium du Dauphine offering BORA - hansgrohe the chance to test out the riding patterns and tactics ahead of the upcoming Tour de France, the team's sports director Rolf Aldag has been incredibly happy with what he has seen so far. "It was really necessary to ride the Dauphiné together, if only to hone in on the automatics," the German explains in conversation with Het Nieuwsblad.

As good as Roglic himself has been, Aldag has been most impressed by the Slovenian's influence on the rest of his teammates, pulling up to his level and bringing better than ever levels of performances from the rest of the BORA - hansgrohe team. "I see that everyone in this selection is growing with the leader," Aldag notes delightedly.

"Take Marco Haller. He couldn't do this before. He now survived a super fast start, went over the Col de Saisies and stormed to the Ramaz," the experienced German continues. "You can name them all, they all surpass themselves. And then you have a Primoz who gets the job done. He doesn't have to be the best climber, he still has his explosiveness with which he can score. Look at his palmares, he is always good for wins."

With a shot at winning the Tour de France reportedly the primary incentive for Roglic to leave Team Visma | Lease a Bike after eight years for BORA - hansgrohe, the Slovenian and his new teammate could be coming into form at just the right time. Although there are still a few weeks until the Grand Depart in Florence, signs so far are positive.