Primoz Roglic's Vuelta start rated '50/50' after training crash

Roglič revealed on 31 July that he had been hit by a car during a training ride a few days earlier. He provided no further details about the collision or the extent of his injuries, but confirmed at the time that he would not race the Clásica San Sebastián or the Vuelta a Burgos.

“I won’t be participating in San Sebastián and in Burgos unfortunately,” Roglič wrote on Instagram. “Not the best scenario, but it’s life.”

Both races have now passed without Roglič on the start line, leaving him without competition since the Slovenian national championships at the end of June.

The bigger concern is now whether he will recover in time for the Vuelta a España, which begins in Monaco on 22 August.

According to Ciro Scognamiglio of La Gazzetta dello Sport, sources say Roglič's chances of starting the Spanish Grand Tour currently stand at 50/50.

If Roglič does make the start, he will do so with little racing in his legs. His last appearance came at the Slovenian national championships in late June, where he won the time trial and finished fourth in the road race.

San Sebastián and the Vuelta a Burgos were meant to provide his final race preparation before the Vuelta. Instead, he could arrive in Monaco having gone almost two months without racing.

He will nevertheless arrive with a place in cycling history within reach. Roglič has won the Vuelta four times, matching Roberto Heras’ record, and a fifth victory would make him the race’s most successful rider outright.

That task has become considerably harder with Tadej Pogačar now confirmed for the Vuelta. The world champion will start in Monaco as the clear favourite for the overall victory.