"We don't hang out or go for a beer every weekend but we're basically neighbours" - Primoz Roglic lifts the lid on off-bike relationship with Tadej Pogacar

Over recent years, Slovenian has become a real powerhouse of the peloton. Although that probably began in earnest through the Grand Tour victories of Primoz Roglic, the Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe leader is no longer the face of Slovenian cycling following the emergence of Tadej Pogacar.

Pogacar took the whole sport of cycling to a new level in 2024, taking a duo of Grand Tour victories, a multitude of stage successes at the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France, two monument wins at Liege-Bastogne-Liege and Il Lombardia, a World Championship title in Zurich where Roglic consigned to a domestique role, plus much, much more. In a recently posted interview with FloBikes, Roglic was questioned on his relationship with Pogacar away from the bike.

"Yeah I mean, I'm just impressed like we all are," Roglic says with a smile. "Just hats off to him. He's so impressive and you know how much it takes to even winning one race. But the way he's doing it now, it makes me feel like I'm really doing something wrong definitely. Or that we all are! But yeah, it's just hats off to him, there's not much more to say."

Pogacar and Roglic have many memorable moments on the bike over the years. None more so though, than when the former denied the latter a first Maillot Jaune at the Tour de France in a dramatic stage 20 time-trial back in 2020. Since then, Pogacar has increased his Tour de France tally to three, whilst for Roglic, the Maillot Jaune remains an elusive goal.

When he is asked by the FloBikes interviewer if they talk or message, Roglic answers firmly. "Yeah, yeah we do," the 35-year-old insists. "Okay we don't hang out or go for a beer every weekend, but I mean we are almost neighbours so we see each other all the time. It's nice to speak in your own language for a bit as well," Roglic adds with a laugh.