“We cannot control setbacks, but we can control our team spirit” – Red Bull – BORA - hansgrohe in fighting mood after Primoz Roglic’s gravel nightmare

Stage 9 of the 2025 Giro d’Italia was a day of triumph for some and torment for others. On the iconic white roads of Tuscany, Wout van Aert secured a brilliant victory in Siena, while Isaac del Toro’s stunning ride earned him the maglia rosa. But for Primoz Roglic, it was yet another day of Grand Tour misfortune, another gravel stage that turned into a personal disaster.

Reminiscent of the cobbled chaos of the 2022 Tour de France and last year’s gravel stage where he was distanced by his rivals, Sunday brought more pain for the Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe leader. Roglic crashed, punctured, and eventually finished almost two and a half minutes down on Van Aert, conceding a full minute to key GC rival Juan Ayuso.

Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe sports director Patxi Vila explained just how much went wrong, speaking to IDLProCycling.com after the stage.

“Dani Felipe Martínez had mechanical problems in the first sector, which meant we were already down one man. Furthermore, Jan Tratnik was not in a good position, which meant he could not do anything. Nico Denz made sure that Giulio Pellizzari got back to Primoz.”

“Thanks to Giulio's work, we only talk about one minute behind Ayuso. It could have been a lot more. And at first, Giulio wasn't even with Primoz's group, so he had to return. He did a great job, just like all the other guys. Primoz fought for every second until the finish.”

Although it was far from the outcome they had hoped for, Vila acknowledged that the situation could have spiralled even further.

“It's hard to be satisfied after today, but it could have been worse,” he admitted. “We were in a perfect position for the first sector, in first and second place. But then there were crashes, after which Primoz had to change bikes because he couldn't shift gears properly, and his tire was flat. We lost a lot of time there, which meant we had to chase the whole way.”

“Honestly, we wanted to go for the stage win today. Primoz and the team were motivated, and we believed we had it in us. However, the crash disrupted a lot of the riders' plans. Visma pulled it off, and I'm pleased that Wout succeeded.”

The team had already suffered a blow earlier in the week, losing former Giro winner Jai Hindley to a crash. But Vila insists morale within the camp remains high.

“Primoz is fine, as is the whole team," he said. "A Grand Tour is a three-week adventure, and nothing ever goes perfectly along the way. Cycling is a crazy sport because you don't ride together all year, whereas here you're racing together for three weeks. You put them together, so I always say that the first week of a Grand Tour is about creating a bond and building the team spirit."

"The team spirit is excellent. Everyone is happy to be here, and we are having a good time together. We cannot control setbacks, but we can control our team spirit, which will get us to Rome."

Vila remains confident that their goals are still within reach: "It's still a long way to go, and although today wasn't a good day, it could have been worse. We're focusing even more on our goal of winning the Giro. That's still possible."

What is true is that Roglic is a master of the 3 week race. Remember, at least year’s Vuelta a Espana he lost over 5 minutes to Ben O’Connor, and slowly, but surely, chipped away at the Australian’s time over the course of the 3 weeks to win a fourth red jersey.