Primoz Roglic

Primož Roglič (nickname Rogla) has carved out one of the most remarkable careers in modern cycling, rising from an unlikely background in ski jumping to become a Grand Tour dominator. Known for his explosive climbing, time trial expertise and calculating racing style, Roglič has won four editions of the Vuelta a España, a Giro d’Italia, an Olympic gold medal, and numerous stage races and one-day events.

Born in Trbovlje, Slovenia in 1989, Roglič began his athletic career far from the road - as a competitive ski jumper. In 2007, he was part of the Slovenian junior team that won the World Championships, but a serious crash on the Planica ski flying hill and a plateau in performance led him to reevaluate his path.

In 2012, he made a dramatic switch to cycling - at the age of 22. With no real background in the sport, he joined a local development team, and within a few years he was winning UCI races. His breakthrough came in 2015 with overall victory in the Tour of Slovenia, earning him a contract with Team LottoNL–Jumbo (now Visma | Lease a Bike) for the 2016 season.

Roglič’s Grand Tour debut came in the 2016 Giro d’Italia, where he stunned by winning a time trial. But it was the 2019 Vuelta a España that truly launched him into cycling stardom. He won the overall title, becoming the first Slovenian to win a Grand Tour.

He would go on to dominate the Vuelta, winning it three years in a row (2019, 2020, 2021), and again in 2024, equalling the all-time record of four wins. Along the way, he added dramatic flair: in 2020, after heartbreakingly losing the Tour de France on the final time trial to Tadej Pogačar, Roglič rebounded weeks later to win the Vuelta with style.

In 2023, he won the Giro d’Italia in spectacular fashion, overturning a deficit in the final mountain time trial on Monte Lussari. His Tour de France record, however, has been mixed. After wearing the yellow jersey deep into the 2020 Tour, he was famously overtaken by Pogačar on the penultimate day. In 2021 and 2022, crashes forced him to abandon. Though he has podiumed in Paris, the yellow jersey remains the missing piece in his Grand Tour puzzle.

While best known as a stage racer, Roglič has shown his class in one-day races as well. In 2020, he won Liège–Bastogne–Liège in dramatic fashion, overtaking Julian Alaphilippe on the line after the Frenchman celebrated too early.

He’s also claimed multiple wins in races like Giro dell’Emilia, Milano–Torino, and Tre Valli Varesine, and stood on the podium in Il Lombardia. His biggest one-day triumph came at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, where he claimed gold in the individual time trial - the first Olympic cycling medal for Slovenia.

Roglič is married to Lora Klinc, with whom he has two children. Lora, a former journalist and now author, wrote Kilometer Zero, a behind-the-scenes account of Roglič’s life. The family leads a relatively private life in Slovenia and is known for their tight-knit bond. Roglič, usually reserved and soft-spoken in public, is regarded as humble and disciplined, with a dry sense of humour that occasionally shines through in interviews.

As of 2024, Roglič earns an estimated €4.5 million per year, placing him among the top earners in cycling. His move to BORA–hansgrohe (now Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe) reportedly involved a €3 million buyout from his former team and a leading role as sole Grand Tour captain.

• 4x Vuelta a España winner (2019, 2020, 2021, 2024) – tied all-time record
• 1x Giro d’Italia winner (2023)
• Olympic gold medalist (Tokyo 2021 ITT)
• First Slovenian to win a Grand Tour
• Held leader's jerseys in all three Grand Tours
• Over 60 career days in a Grand Tour leader’s jersey
• 3x UCI world number one (year-end)
• Vélo d’Or winner in 2020

At 35, Roglič remains remarkably competitive, with his 2024 Vuelta victory proving he’s still at the peak of his powers. Whether he finally dons yellow in Paris or adds to his record Vuelta haul, Roglič’s story is far from over. An icon of resilience, a master of the comeback, and a true legend in the peloton.