The story behind Slovenia’s cycling boom

Over the past few years, Slovenia has became one of the most important nations in the cycling world, especially within the men’s peloton. This fact can seem surprising, given that only 2.1 million people live in this small eastern European country, which only became independent in 1991. The arrival of Slovenian cyclists at the highest level of our sport is not that big of a surprise when we take a look at it a bit closer. 

During geography classes, Slovenia is definitely not the most mentioned European country. This small republic of around 20,000 square kilometers gained its independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, after the collapse of Tito’s regime, and remains somewhat unfamiliar to many foreigners today.

Under the communist regime, Slovenia was one of the smallest countries of Yugoslavia but, at the same time, also one of the richest. This can be explained by the history of the region, which benefited from the proximity with Italy and Austria, allowing it to develop faster than its Yugoslav companions. This difference between the separate regions of Tito’s country caused its explosion at the beginning of the 1990s, when Slovenia and Croatia voted for their independence ten years after the death of their former leader. 

After the independence, Slovenia’s geographical position in between the traditional “Western” and “Eastern” Europe allowed its successive governments to turn to the West, in order to catch onto the richest countries of the continent. Thanks to the development of industries but also of tourism, Slovenia became the first former Yugoslav country to join the EU in 2004, only fifteen years after independence.

Just like every other recent nation, Slovenian governments had to find a way to exist internationally in order to gain global recognition and shine a spotlight on their small Mediterranean territory.

In order to launch their country onto the international stage, Slovenian leaders chose to invest in sport, one of the best soft power tools. Indeed, having athletes carrying the flag and the colours of a country during the biggest sporting events on the planet, broadcast on live TV all around the globe, is one of the best ways a country can make a name for itself without conflicts. Since the beginning of the 20th century, influence is gained by existing in the media, and Slovenia’s athletes are contributing greatly to the expansion of their country’s recognition.

In a recent speech during an IOC meeting in Lausanne, the Prime Minister of Slovenia, Robert Golob, spoke of his country’s sporting successes and reminded everyone that, if Slovenian athletes are among the best in the World, it was not due to luck: “We became a sporting nation because we accepted it as a national responsibility”. Since the independence of the country, regardless of which political party holds power in Slovenia, sport will always be one of the government’s main priorities. Sport has become part of the national culture in the country, leading to the creation of a dedicated holiday every year - the “Day of Slovenian Sport”, celebrated annually on September 23 - a unique case in Europe.

Sports in Slovenia have played a critical role even before the declaration of independence. The awakening of the nationalist movement in the middle of the 19th century was influenced by the creation of gymnastic clubs named “Sokols”. The athletes in these clubs took part in competitions against other Slavic nations, giving Slovenians a chance to cheer for their compatriots - even though the country was still part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the time.

This deep-rooted sports culture is also shaped by Slovenia’s geography. Despite its small size, the country is nestled between mountains and the sea, offering ideal natural conditions for a wide range of sports, especially winter disciplines. It’s no coincidence that some of Slovenia’s most iconic athletes have made their name on ice or snow - like Alpine skier Tina Maze, who won four Olympic medals, or Anže Kopitar, captain of the LA Kings NHL team.

Even if Slovenian mountains did not affect the training of the NBA superstar Luka Dončić, they definitely helped the climber Janja Garnbret to develop, allowing her to win the gold medal at two consecutive Olympic Games, Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024. Finally, the hilly roads of the Julian Alps are a perfect landscape for the most internationally represented sport of Slovenia - cycling.

The history of cycling in Slovenia, begins way before the nation’s independence, with the creation of two cycling clubs at the end of the 19th century. The first cycling association in Ljubljana, called Laibacher Bicycle-Club, was created in 1885 by Germans living in the city. Two years later, the Slovenian Cycling Club was founded in order to compete with the foreigners’ club, becoming the first completely Slovenian cycling organisation. Some local races started to be organised, including Trieste-Vienna, a race of over 500km that saw Josef Fischer, the German cyclist who won the first-ever Paris-Roubaix, take victory.

After World War One, the Kingdom of Yugoslavia saw some of its best riders compete in the Tour de France under the national flag. This allowed Franc Abulnar, a rider from Ljubljana, to become the first Slovenian to ever ride La Grande Boucle in 1936. Unfortunately, he never made it to Paris as he had to abandon after a crash.

Under the Yugoslav regime, Slovenian riders were not able to compete in the world’s biggest races, including the Tour de France. However, the sport developed itself in the country thanks to major manufacturers that contributed massively to the cycling culture in Slovenia. Under Tito’s socialism, companies that produced bicycles such as Rog allowed their most talented workers to train and compete in local amateur races, the best of them even being supported by the government.

After Tito’s death, the rules became softer and allowed some Slovenian cyclists to turn professional by signing for foreign teams. This was the case of Primož Čerin, who became the first “Eastern-Bloc” rider to start the Tour de France in 1986, exactly fifty years after his predecessor Abulnar. Just as Greg LeMond became the first non-European to win the biggest race in the World, Čerin became a pioneer for his country, showing the beginning of cycling’s globalisation.

When Slovenia became independent in 1991, professional cycling slowly arrived in the country, following the conflicts and war. The riders started to export themselves and the first results followed: the bronze medal at the 2001 World Championships was won by the current UAE Team Emirates-XRG Sports Director Andrej Hauptman. This international result was the first great achievement by a Slovenian cyclist, exactly ten years after the declaration of independence, and it gave a push to the sport in the country. 

During the 2000s, the tradition of Slovenian climbers started with the rider from Kranj, Tadej Valjavec, who finished in the top ten at the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France, before being suspended due to some grey areas in his biological passport. A few years later, Janez Brajkovic brought Slovenian cycling their biggest success at the time, as he managed to take home the general classification of the Critérium du Dauphiné 2010, ahead of Alberto Contador and Tejay Van Garderen. His career, alongside that of his countryman Simon Spilak - two times winner of the Tour de Suisse - marked the transition between the early days of Slovenian cycling and the arrival of a new generation that would dominate the peloton.

2017 was a key year for professional cycling in Slovenia. For the first time ever, a rider from the Mediterranean country raised his arms on the biggest stage of the sport: the Tour de France. When Primož Roglič, a former promising ski jumper who turned to cycling after a heavy crash, triumphed in Serre-Chevalier by holding off the yellow-jersey group, the whole country celebrated its new hero, unaware of the greatness that still lay ahead. That same year, his compatriot Matej Mohorič also claimed a Grand Tour victory, crossing the line first on stage seven of La Vuelta a España.

In the following seasons, the two established themselves among the best in the peloton, each with a different style. Mohorič became a versatile all-rounder, capable of winning stages in all three Grand Tours as well as one-day races, including Milano-Sanremo, the biggest win of his career. Roglič, on the other hand, emerged as one of the most dominant general classification riders of his generation, capturing one Giro, four Vueltas and all but one of the major World Tour stage races.

Yet despite their incredible achievements, an extraordinary talent has begun to overshadow them both. From the small village of Klanec, north of Ljubljana, came a rider who looks set to become one of the greatest the sport has ever seen: Tadej Pogačar. The 26-year-old burst onto the scene in 2019, finishing third in his debut Grand Tour at just 20 years old. One year later, he stunned the world by overturning Roglič in a legendary final time trial on La Planche des Belles Filles to win his first Tour de France - the first of many triumphs to come. His trophy cabinet speaks for itself. As World Champion, he has proven to be one of the most complete riders in history, performing at the highest level in both the long climbs of the Alps and the brutal cobbles of Paris-Roubaix.

Together, these three riders - all of whom developed in Slovenian amateur teams before reaching the World Tour - have won eleven Monuments and nine Grand Tour general classifications, along with 53 stage victories. Their achievements are complemented by countrymen Luka Mezgec and Jan Tratnik, who have each claimed a Grand Tour stage win. With only nine riders currently competing at the highest level, Slovenia has emerged as one of the most successful nations in professional cycling.

The incredible successes of Pogačar, Roglič and Mohorič has definitely motivated a lot of young Slovenians to register in a cycling club, in order to follow in the footsteps of their idols. In Slovenia, these riders have become superstars, and Tadej Pogačar celebrated his main successes on one of the main squares of Ljubljana, the capital city, in front of thousands of people, giving hopes and dreams to all Slovenian children. 

The new generation of Slovenian cyclists will have a lot to do in order to continue the work of their predecessors. Among the best wonderkids of our sport, one of them is currently having a wonderful season and could very well be one of the future great names of the international peloton - Jakob Ormzel. At only nineteen years old, the young rider from Novo Mesto, a city located at the Croatian border, impressed cycling fans last week by winning the Giro NextGen, overtaking Luke Tuckwell during the last stage. A few days earlier, he took part in his first professional race with Bahrain-Victorious at his national tour, where he finished fourth overall, beating riders such as Fabio Christen and Johannes Kulset. Ormzel impressed everyone during his Junior years by winning Paris-Roubaix in his category, proving that he is a very complete rider, capable of performing in all kinds of races.

In addition to Ormzel, the Slovenian future generation could be carried by one of his teammates since he started to ride a bike - Zak Erzen. The 19 years old is the son of Milan Erzen, a solid Slovenian cyclist of the 1990s and who is now the general manager of the Bahraini team. The rider from Novo Mesto proved that he was not here only because of this parental connection by raising his arms twice in 2025 while riding with the Development team. Finally, with the explosion of Slovenian cycling, some teams such as Soudal Quick-Step decided to trust more the young riders from the country, including them in their development program. It is the case for example of Erazem Valjavec and Gal Bare, two very promising riders who could arrive in the WorldTour peloton in the next few years.

One of the ambitions of the Slovenian cycling federation in the coming years will likely focus on the development of women’s cycling, which remains significantly underdeveloped compared to the men’s side. Urška Žigart is currently the only Slovenian rider competing at WorldTour level. Despite her strong results - including a fifth place at the recent Tour de Suisse - she receives far less media attention than her male compatriots.

Even before its independence, Slovenia has always been a cycling nation, due to it's perfect training landscapes and a great sport culture. Over the past decades, thanks to a very good formation system inherited from the Socialist regime, the country has become one of the most powerful nations in the international peloton and has the ambition to stay at the top for a very long time.