"You never know what next year will bring" - Has Primoz Roglic discovered how to defeat Tadej Pogacar?
Cycling
Primoz Roglic has completed his first season with Red
Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, and the question of whether he can finally overcome his
compatriot and cycling’s current leading force, Tadej Pogacar, looms larger
than ever.
Roglic’s 2024 season was a rollercoaster, as he stormed to
victory at the Critérium du Dauphiné, only to suffer yet another heartbreaking
crash in the Tour de France. But in typical Roglic fashion, he rebounded
spectacularly, winning the Vuelta a España for the fourth time in September.
His victory also marked an unprecedented achievement for Slovenian cycling in
2024, with the nation claiming all three Grand Tours, Roglic took the Vuelta,
while Pogacar clinched both the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France.
Pogacar, riding for UAE Team Emirates, cemented his place at
the pinnacle of world cycling this year by completing the elusive triple crown.
With his Giro, Tour, and World Championship titles, Pogacar was unchallenged as
the number one rider, setting a standard few can hope to match.
Yet Roglic remains undeterred. Speaking to Cyclingnews
about his 2025 ambitions, he expressed his enduring desire to win the Tour de
France. “That is something I would always like to do,” he shared. “But on the
other hand, when I think about next season now, I mainly want to improve myself
in a few aspects and grow as a team.”
Despite acknowledging the enormous challenge of beating
Pogacar, Roglic’s determination shines through. “Where he is at the moment, he
is really unbeatable, or hard to match. But you never know what next year will
bring, Tadej might be even better,” he admitted, showing his respect for
Pogacar’s incredible form.
Roglic’s strategy for beating Pogacar seems intriguingly
simple yet bold. When asked about how he might approach next season, he
quipped, “By checking his program and then riding exactly the opposite.” This
response, delivered with a smile, reflects Roglic’s philosophy, instead of
obsessing over Pogacar’s form, Roglic wants to focus on his own performance.
“We have no influence on his form, but if I can be the best version of myself I
can always let it go,” he explained.
For Roglic, this mindset may be key. While he has yet to
announce his 2025 race schedule, it’s clear that his approach will be shaped by
a desire to sharpen his own abilities and race craft, regardless of what
Pogacar chooses to do. Roglic’s experience and tactical acumen, combined with
his fresh start at Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, could be exactly what he needs to
stage a serious challenge for cycling’s biggest prize.
Will Roglic’s pursuit of the yellow jersey finally bear
fruit in 2025? Only time will tell if this strategy, focused on
self-improvement and flexibility, is the answer to the Pogacar puzzle. For now,
Roglic remains undaunted, eyes firmly set on the future as he seeks to close
the gap on his formidable countryman.
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
claps 3visitors 3
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- 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
Loading
1 Comments