cycling
Turnaround at the Giro: Roglic snatches the pink jersey from Thomas
Slovenia’s Primoz Roglic took over the pink jersey at the Giro. photo
© Fabio Ferrari/LaPresse/AP/dpa
Primoz Roglic snatched the pink jersey from Geraint Thomas on the penultimate day of the Giro d’Italia and is close to overall victory. Three years ago, the Slovenian had the opposite experience on the tour.
To the jubilation of his Slovenian fans, Primoz Roglic surprisingly snatched the pink jersey from the big favorite Geraint Thomas at the Giro d’Italia and took the decisive step towards overall victory.
Despite a technical defect, the Slovenian raced to victory in the mountain time trial on the penultimate stage, making up for the 26-second deficit in the overall standings. So Roglic goes into the final stage to Rome on Sunday in the leader’s jersey, 14 seconds ahead of Thomas, where traditionally nothing should change in the overall standings.
“It’s unbelievable. These are moments that you always remember. I can only enjoy it. Everyone on the track deserves that,” said Roglic.
Kämna falls behind slightly
German professional cyclist Lennart Kämna finished 14th in the 18.6-kilometre battle against the clock from Tarvisio up Monte Lussari, 2:18 minutes behind Roglic and slipped to ninth place overall.
But the big spectacle was the 7.8 kilometer long climb on the final ascent with an average gradient of 11.2 kilometers in the duel between the two top stars. Roglic was already clearly in the lead before the chain jumped off him. But the 33-year-old didn’t let that deter him not far from the Slovenian border and still managed to win.
Ironically Roglic! Almost three years ago, the former ski jumper lost the apparently safe yellow jersey at the Tour de France on the penultimate day in a fight against the clock in La-Planche-des-Belles-Filles to his compatriot Tadej Pogacar.
Special place for Roglic
This time he turned things around – and in a place he remembered fondly. In Tarvisio, where Roglic now skied off the ramp, he won the gold medal at the 2007 World Junior Championships on the ski jump with the Slovenian team before later switching to cycling.
On Sunday there shouldn’t be any more changes at the top of the overall standings on the flat final stage over 126 kilometers with start and finish in Rome.