It is impossible to wipe the smile from Primoz Roglic’s face. Regardless of the result, the Slovenian has always offered his best face throughout this Giro d’Italia. Today, at the end of the 19th stage, he was no exception, because he also had reason to smile. Not so much for the scant loot obtained on Geraint Thomas (3 seconds) but by the psychic blow to his direct rival: in Tre Cime di Lavaredo he was the strongest.
“It was fun. Tomorrow we will go full speed again. Happy? Yes, it’s good. I had great legs and I’m confident, ”Roglic said after crossing the finish line, seconds before quickly leaving for the team bus, just as he has been doing throughout the race. Minutes later, he gave a further analysis: “It was two beautiful days in the Dolomites. However, the most important day will be tomorrow. In the end I was there and I had the legs to test attacks. I enjoyed the massive support from the public. It’s wonderful to be in front of so many enthusiastic fans. Maybe that support in combination with good legs can help to achieve something beautiful. I’m going to do my best, give it my all and try to get energy from the support of the fans. It promises to be a tough day, but an exciting one.”
For his part, Thomas was satisfied despite showing his first signs of weakness after 19 completed stages: “It was a tough, solid day, but once again the boys rode very well. We expected either UAE or Jumbo to try to win the stage. It did not materialize. It has been a long race with a lot of climbing. When I attacked there was 400 meters to go, I realized it was a long way, but I’m happy to gain time on Almeida, I lost a couple of seconds to Primoz. Fingers crossed for tomorrow. I think that tomorrow’s race suits me better than the last 500 meters today. I will focus on myself and run as fast as I can. If I weren’t as confident as I am, I wouldn’t be here. Whoever is stronger tomorrow, he wins. The thing promises.