With his arrival in 2024, Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe seemed to have secured a clear team leader in Primoz Roglic for the coming years, but next season the Slovenian will primarily operate in the shadow of new signing Remco Evenepoel. However, Roglic does not see this as a problem—in fact, quite the opposite.
Two-time Olympic champion Evenepoel will join the German WorldTeam next season, which appears set to shift the team dynamics once again. Roglic seems somewhat the victim of the arrival of the Belgian star, but the 36-year-old Slovenian sees it very differently. "We have to face strong rivals, so why would we race against each other?" he asks in an interview with Cyclingnews.
"Remco is a great guy and has already achieved fantastic results in his career. I hope he can continue to perform. I don’t really know him well, we’ve never really spoken. We do say 'hello' when we meet in the peloton, but that’s about it. During the first training camp, there will be a chance to get to know each other better. That’s the first step in our collaboration."
More peace and freedom
With Evenepoel’s arrival, Roglic hopes to be able to operate more quietly. "I hope to get a bit more peace and freedom. In that sense, Remco’s arrival is good. It gives me the space to take a step back from all the responsibilities and things outside of cycling. From next year, the team can count on a younger leader."
photo: Fotoperburo Cor Vos
This, however, does not mean Roglic no longer harbors personal ambitions, but when asked earlier about his plans for 2026, the Grand Tour rider gave an unusual answer. "My future? A wise man once said: We’ll see. We’ll see how it goes today and in the coming weeks, but normally I’ll still be riding next year," he told Eurosport earlier this month.
About the future
"I actually don’t want to think about my future yet. We don’t even know if we’ll be alive next year," a philosophical Roglic now tells Cyclingnews. "I still have a contract, so normally I’ll be on the bike again next year. And after that? We’ll see then. I really take it day by day. I’m happy that I’m still a professional cyclist and able to ride."
"For 2026, I’m aiming for real matters, conversations, and goals," he says somewhat mysteriously. "I will still sit down with the team management to discuss what we can achieve together next year. I can now truly focus on cycling again, and that’s enough for me."
