Vuelta champion and Tour de France hopeful Primoz Roglic to start 2021 season at Paris-Nice

ByEnis Koylu

Updated 18/12/2020 at 14:48 GMT

Primoz Roglic is set to start his season at Paris-Nice after a long rest following his Vuelta a Espana triumph this autumn. The Slovenian is also hoping to be in peak condition in time for the Tour de France, which he finally hopes to win, and the rescheduled 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which he said is important to him personally.

Primoz Roglic has confirmed that he will kick off his 2021 season with Paris-Nice, with a particular focus on the Tour de France and the Olympic Games.

The Slovenian won his second Grand Tour at the Vuelta a Espana this year but was pipped to the Yellow Jersey in the Tour by his compatriot Tadej Pogacar.

And he is already looking forward to March next year, when he will compete in Paris-Nice for the first time in his career.

Giro d'Italia

'All I'm thinking about now is the Giro' - Thomas focused on first Grand Tour of the season

16/04/2024 at 07:39

• Pogacar has 'conflicting emotions' of pipping Roglic to Tour win
• Ineos stalwart Knees retires to take up back room role
• Froome to make Israel Start-Up Nation debut in Argentina in January

“Nothing has been decided yet, but I can already say that I will start the season with Paris-Nice and then I’ll follow last year's programme all the way to the Tour,” Roglic is quoted as saying by Cycling News.

“I will be able to reveal the details after we finalise them with the team management and staff.

“The Olympics don't count as much in cycling as in other sports, but they are important to me as I come from winter sports, and I definitely want to be in the best possible shape there.

“But I know it will be extremely difficult, given the fact that I intend to ride the Tour and there isn’t much time between the two races. Both must go optimally, but I believe that even after the Tour you can compete at the Olympics.”

Classy gesture as Roglic congratulates Pogacar with embrace

Pogacar admitted to having conflicting emotions at beating Roglic, the Yellow Jersey holder between stages nine and 20, to the GC in the Tour, but Roglic said he did not think about the pair's embrace during the final stage.

“I never thought about it, but I reacted quite naturally," he explained.

“I didn't plan for it, especially not all of those emotions. Everything happened very spontaneously, and I really like that people who don’t follow cycling at all noticed it too, drew positive conclusions from it.”

Cycling

Zeeman to step down as Team Visma Lease-a-Bike sporting director

03/04/2024 at 16:43

Itzulia Basque Country

Roglic 'disappears' as he takes wrong turn on time trial – still wins easily!

00:00:52

|

01/04/2024 at 16:19

Paris - Nice

‘Evenepoel has the beating of him!’ - Belgian holds off Roglic attack to take six bonus points

00:00:46

|

06/03/2024 at 16:25