Primoz Roglic confirmed for Vuelta but with 'realistic' GC aspirations

Primož Roglič will line up at the Vuelta a España despite the injuries sustained in a training crash late last month. 

The four-time Vuelta champion was confirmed in the Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe selection on Tuesday morning, but the team downplayed his general classification aspirations.

“We have to be realistic because his preparation has been very different from what we originally anticipated after his crash,” sports director Sven Vanthourenhout said in a statement released by the team.

“We will assess things step by step. We will support him to achieve the best possible GC result, but we also have to be ready to adapt if necessary.”

The Vuelta is Roglič’s only Grand Tour of the season after Red Bull opted to build their Tour de France team around Florian Lipowitz and new arrival Remco Evenepoel. Roglič last lined up at the Vuelta in 2024, when he claimed his record-equalling fourth overall victory. 

The Slovenian, who is set to leave Red Bull at the end of the season, was coy about his prospects in a race where his compatriot Tadej Pogačar sets out as the favourite. Roglič was struck by a motorist while training in late July and he was forced to miss the Vuelta a Burgos.

“I have a very good history with the Vuelta, and I always enjoy racing there,” Roglič said. “Winning it four times is already something I could never have imagined, so I don't want to put extra pressure on myself. We will take it day by day, do everything we can as a team and try to achieve the best possible outcome. I’m looking forward to it.”

Despite the doubts over Roglič’s fitness, Red Bull resisted the temptation to bring Giulio Pellizzari to the race as another GC option, though there is a Grand Tour debut for Australian talent Luke Tuckwell, who impressed at the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes in June.

“There are so many unknowns with a first Grand Tour that I don’t want to put a specific result on it,” Tuckwell said. “My goal is to finish, learn as much as I can and be a good teammate whenever the team needs me.”

Jordi Meeus will lead the line in the sprints, while the squad is completed by Finn Fisher-Black, Gianni Moscon, Callum Thornley, Gianni Vermeersch and Frederik Wandahl.

“Our main goal is to win a stage, and hopefully more than one if the opportunities are there,” said Vanthourenhout. “Our second major objective is the GC with Primož.”