Primož Roglič was a man of few words at the finish line of the Giro d’Italia on Sunday. Chased by the TNT Sports camera crew, he offered back only a six-word remark: “I’m just happy that I finished.”
It had been, after 219km, a forgettable day for the Slovenian. Shepherded by his Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe teammates, he crossed the line in Asiago a minute and a half behind his fellow general classification rivals, the only pink jersey hopeful to suffer a time loss.
Roglič began stage 15 in fifth; he ended it in 10th, almost four minutes adrift of the race leader, Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), and with an even bigger mountain to climb in the race’s final week.
Running alongside the 35-year-old as he rolled back to his team bus, the TNT reporter posed a forward-looking question: “You still have hope to try something?” A handful of silent seconds followed, before the response came. Roglič was relieved the stage was over, he made clear. He would offer no explanation or excuse for the time loss.
The GC attacks began with around 100km to go on the race's second longest day. Egan Bernal, set-up by his Ineos Grenadiers teammates, was the first to launch a probing move, but was unable to unsettle Del Toro in pink. Roglič rode his own rhythm behind.
With 30km to go, Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) took his chance to test the pack. Again, Del Toro was unshakeable, but Roglič couldn’t hold the pace. Perhaps sensing weakness, the GC group kept the pressure on all the way to the finish, and the gap to the Slovenian widened, growing from 30 seconds, to a minute, and eventually 1:30.
Was it illness that had befallen Roglič? Had he been hurt in the crash on stage 14? Perhaps his level was just a step below his rivals'?
A five-time Grand Tour winner, Roglič’s chances of winning a second Giro now appear slashed. But according to Israel Premier Tech’s Derek Gee, they haven’t been levelled completely. “A guy like Roglič, you can’t count him out, especially with a third week like that,” the Canadian said.
The high mountains are calling, a terrain where the Slovenian tends to thrive. First, though, a rest day, and a chance to re-assess the fight for the pink jersey.
That battle is currently being won by 21-year-old Mexican Del Toro, a Giro debutant. “It’s incredible. It’s really an amazing dream. I’m here fighting every day," he said on Sunday, rounding out a week in the race lead.
"Having confidence about the things that I want to do in these days is so hard, but with this team, I think everything is possible," Del Toro added.
It's the same faith that Roglič will need if he's to climb back up into contention. The Slovenian is down, but he's not out yet.
