'There is always still hope' - Roglic suffers on the gravel but keeps his Vuelta alive

Primož Roglič (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) said he suffered throughout stage 6 of the Vuelta a España, having been unable to follow Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) when the race leader attacked on the gravel of the Puerto El Bartolo.

The Slovenian was in the red jersey group when Pogačar went with 24 kilometres remaining, and reacted along with Oscar Onley (Netcompany-Ineos) and Enric Mas (Movistar). 

None could hold the wheel. Roglič crossed the summit with Felix Gall (Decathlon CMA CGM) at 1:05, while Mas got back across to Pogačar on the descent.

"It was hard, it was hard. I was suffering today and wow, I'm happy that I'm at the finish line," Roglič said to members of the media, including Domestique.

He was cautious on the descent off El Bartolo, which drops fast before turning technical.

"I went slower. I'm always enough, so, no risk," he said.

Roglič came into this Vuelta having missed the Clásica San Sebastián and the Vuelta a Burgos after being hit by a car in training in late July. 

Before Andorra he described the aftermath by saying that putting his socks on had been the hardest part of the three weeks that followed. Asked whether his best form is returning, he would not commit either way.

"We don't know. Maybe we'll be just worse than this. But at the end we have to accept it the way we'll be. There is always still hope."

Friday brings the second summit finish of the race, 149.8 kilometres from Vall d'Alba to the Valdelinares ski station with 3,597 metres of climbing, the most of any stage so far. Roglič has won this kind of finish more often than anyone else in the field, although his last Vuelta stage victory dates back to 2024.