In September, in the Sevillian town of Tomares, Primoz Roglic closed a 2022 marked by falls. He came from going to the ground in the Tour de France (he even put himself on the shoulder) and had to abandon the French race. He came to La Vuelta for redemption, a test in which he had won the three previous editions, but in the aforementioned Tomares he took another tremendous blow. The next day he did not go out. Season finished, with Paris-Nice and the Dauphiné as great conquests (a true specialist in one-week races) and six months without competing. In between, a long winter, shoulder surgery included, and a return that was scheduled for next week, in the Volta a Catalunya, as the only test before the Giro.
After their good performance in training on Teide, the team changed its mind: to the Tirreno-Adriatico. And the test could not have been more favourable: three stages and general, a victory that was confirmed this Sunday after the outcome of a volata in San Benedetto del Tronto that went to the Belgian Jasper Philipsen, launched again in a great way by Mathieu van der Poel and they achieve their second victory this week. The leading role during this last day was for a breakaway of eight, with the Italian Fortunato as the best placed in the general classification, who sold his neutralization dearly, since it did not take place until three kilometers from the finish line, just as the sprinter teams bring out their ‘trains’, no difficulties as far as the terrain is concerned, Roglic had to complete the process of crossing the finish line. As soon as he did, he stuck out his tongue. The conquest was finished, his victory 69 at 33 years of age.
The one from the Jumbo relieves his compatriot Tadej Pogacar, that this campaign opted for Paris-Nice and also imposed with authority (three stages and general). On the podium he is accompanied by Joao Almeida, in second position, with Tao Geoghegan Hart third. As for the Spaniards, Enric Mas was sixth, while Mikel Landa finished one place behind, seventh. On the main day, on Friday, the wind was the protagonist, which made movements and attacks difficult, and Roglic in those finals with reduced groups (thus he achieved three victories) has hardly any rivals… who are not from his country. He already won ‘The race of the two seas’ in 2019, and on a sunny afternoon in Italian lands he once again raised the spectacular champion award. Next week he will be in the Volta a Catalunya, together with the Tour of Switzerland, the two most prestigious one-week races that are yet to be added to his record (Paris-Nice Tirreno-Adriatico, Itzulia, Tour de Romandie and, Dauphine already are on your resume). “My main goal was to gain competition pace. To achieve three stage wins and the final classification, I certainly did not expect. Every year you grow older and wiser. This confirms to me that I’m on the right path, but that doesn’t mean I’m where I want to be yet. We have to keep improving and that motivates me to keep going. There’s work left”, said a happy Roglic after his new success.
Results of the 7th stage
1st Jasper Philipsen (BÉL/Alpecin) – 3h 32:36
2nd Dylan Groenewegen (PBA/Jayco) – mt
3rd Alberto Dainese (ITA/DSM)) – mt
10th Fernando Gaviria (COL/Movistar) mt
53rd enric mas (Movistar) – mt
General of the 58th Tirreno-Adriatico
1st Cousin Roglic (Jumbo) – 28h 38:57
2nd João Almeida (UAE) – at 18
3rd Tao Geoghegan Hart (Ineos) – 23
6th enric mas (Movistar) – 41
7th Michael Landa (Bahrain) – 56