‘I’m here to give everything’ - Roglic makes Tour de Suisse debut during Vuelta build-up

The Slovenian last raced at the Tour de Romandie in late April, finishing 18th. His appearance in Switzerland is part of his preparations for the Vuelta a España, where he will attempt to become the first rider to win the race five times.

The Tour de Suisse is the only major one-week stage race missing from Roglič’s impressive palmarès. During his career, the 36-year-old has won Paris-Nice, Tirreno Adriatico, the Volta a Catalunya, Itzulia Basque Country, the Tour de Romandie and the Critérium du Dauphiné.

A victory in Switzerland would therefore complete his collection of overall titles from cycling’s seven leading one-week stage races.

Speaking at the start in Sondrio, Roglič acknowledged that the time had come to add the race to his calendar.

“Yes, it is my first time, so it was time,” he told CyclingPro.net at the team presentation on Tuesday.

Roglič has spent much of the period since Romandie at a training camp. Although he offered few details about his form, he said he was pleased with his condition ahead of the opening stage.

“So far, so good. I am happy and healthy, and I hope to maintain that throughout the race,” he said.

When asked about his ambitions for the five-day event, Roglič declined to set a specific target and suggested that the road would determine his place in the general classification.

“The race itself will show us where we belong,” he said.

The opening stage could provide an immediate indication of his condition. Its demanding finale features four short and steep climbs, giving Roglič an early opportunity to test himself after his extended period away from racing.

“Tomorrow will already be a hard one,” he said. “It is a spicy final and a spicy stage. We have to get through it, and then I think there will be a bit of progression towards the weekend.”

The race concludes on Sunday with a summit finish at Villars sur Ollon. Roglič expects the decisive moments to come during the final weekend but stressed that he is also focused on getting the most from himself and his teammates.

“The weekend is the finale,” he said. “I am here to give everything and to get everything out of the team with the boys. It will be a nice challenge.”

The Slovenian is not set to compete at the Tour de France in July, where Remco Evenepoel and Florian Lipowitz are expected to lead Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe. Instead, the Slovenian is building towards the Vuelta a España, which begins on 22 August.

Roglič currently shares the record for the most Vuelta victories with Roberto Heras. Both riders have won the Spanish Grand Tour four times, but another overall victory would give Roglič the record outright.