Giro d'Italia 2023: 'I have to disagree' - Eurosport stars clash on Primoz Roglic's chances of winning GC

Published 25/05/2023 at 11:47 GMT

Primoz Roglic rolled out for Stage 18 in third place in the general classification, 29 seconds down on Geraint Thomas and 11 behind Joao Almeida. While there are still plenty of opportunities to bounce back, his performance on Stage 16 left Eurosport expert Jens Voigt in little doubt that he will not be leaving Italy draped in pink. “I don’t see him winning this one anymore,” claimed Voigt.

'I don't see him winning' - Voigt writes off Roglic hopes ahead of Stage 18

There may be four stages remaining at the Giro d’Italia, including three big opportunities to gain time, but Jens Voigt has already written off Primoz Roglic’s hopes of winning the race.

The Jumbo-Visma star started Thursday’s Stage 18 third in the general classification, 29 seconds behind leader Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers).

Roglic was briefly favourite to win a maiden Giro after Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) withdrew due to Covid before Tao Geoghegan Hart (Ineos Grenadiers) crashed out, but he wobbled in the mountains on Stage 16 as Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) and Thomas put time into him.

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Roglic admitted he was not feeling his best in the second week, likely due to injuries sustained in the crash that ended Geoghegan Hart’s race on Stage 11.

This emboldened Voigt to claim on The Breakaway ahead of Stage 18 that Roglic would not win the Giro – although it was not a view shared by Dan Lloyd.

“He rarely gives anything away in his interviews, we all agree to that. But he might have just said the truth – ‘I’m not 100%’,” Voigt said on The Breakaway ahead of Stage 18.

“I think he probably has to try to hang onto third place. You can never count him out, but I would almost go that far.

“I think he will stay a Grand Tour winner, but limited to the Vuelta a Espana. I don’t see him winning this one any more.”

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However, Lloyd offered some hope for Roglic, suggesting that it would only take a marginal shift in fortunes for him to surge back into contention for the maglia rosa.

“He’s not going to accept third. He’s won three Grand Tours, he hasn’t won the Giro of course, but I think he’s a rider that will risk everything to try and win this race,” he said.

“We always spoke about Vincenzo Nibali in this position before, he was so annoying to the guy leading the race because he didn’t care if he was third, fourth, fifth… it was either the win or nothing at all. I think Roglic is in the same position.

“And he’s got [team-mate] Sepp Kuss, who was the third best rider on Monte Bondone [on Stage 16]. Roglic showed how much of a champion he is that day because he wasn’t on his best day but he really limited his losses, whereas other riders when they have a bad day they lost two, three, four minutes.

“And what you need as a GC rider is when you’re not feeling 100% is leaving yourself in the game for the rest of the race. The percentage differences were so small that day that if does just flip versus Almeida and Thomas, I still think he’s in with a great shout of winning this race.”

However Voigt was quick to shut down that argument, highlighting the upcoming individual time trial on the penultimate stage that finishes up Monte Lussari.

“I have to disagree with that because he doesn’t like time trials late in a Grand Tour so I think he’s going to be incredibly nervous about a time trial on the second to last day. He lost the Tour like that,” said Voigt.

In 2020, Tadej Pogacar wrestled the yellow jersey from Roglic’s shoulders on the final competitive stage at the Tour de France in stunning fashion after a sensational climb of La Planche des Belles Filles.