For the first time in nearly a decade, Primoz Roglic rode in colours other than that of Visma in 2024. Although his season was a little injury hit, crashing out of his main goal - the Tour de France, the Slovenian leader of Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe ensured a successful 2024 season by taking a record-equalling 4th Red Jersey at the Vuelta a Espana.
"I had a really nice at the Vuelta," Roglic recalls in a candid, sit down interview with FloBikes on their official YouTube channel. "With a new team and the way we were working, what we were doing, it really felt beautiful and yeah, I really enjoyed it a lot."
Having left Jumbo-Visma (now named Team Visma | Lease a Bike ed.) after an all-conquering and record breaking 2023 season that saw Roglic himself winning the Giro d'Italia. Teammate Jonas Vingegaard take the Tour de France and both finishing on the final podium of the Vuelta a Espana behind teammate Sepp Kuss, joining Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe. A team with only one Grand Tour victory in their entire history before this season was a marked change.
"It feels like a complete switch is happening again now," assesses Roglic, noting the big effort being made at his team in preparation for the 2025 season. "A bunch of new people stepping in and I think really now we will start to work. It's a big challenge. You can say that we have everything, but still you need all these parts to connect to each other to really work the best as a unit."
There was even much reported talk of Remco Evenepoel potentially joining the team ready for next season with some sources citing a 10 million euro offer on the table for the Belgian that could potentially have put Roglic's leadership of the team in doubt. "I did not even think about. I already enough challenges so something that's a maybe or a if, I just don't want to think about it," the Slovenian says however.
Was the transfer of the Soudal - Quick-Step leader ever a realistic proposition though? "When there is some smoke, there's probably also fire," Roglic admits with a wry smile. "I don't know it into the details of if there were talks or whatever but we will see. Like with everything you know, you have positives and things a bit less positive."