Primoz Roglic tipped to compete with Tadej Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel at Tour de France - ‘Age doesn’t mean anything'
Published 29/11/2024 at 21:54 GMT
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Team Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe's head of performance Dan Lorang believes Primoc Roglic can compete with Tadej Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel in 2025 despite his age. Roglic took up cycling at the age of 23 after starting out as a ski jumper. Roglic, now 35, is nine years older than his all-conquering compatriot Pogacar and 11 years older than double Olympic gold medallist Evenepoel.
Girmay pips Roglic and Cavendish in rain-soaked Saitama exhibition
Video credit: TNT Sports
Primoz Roglic can go toe-to-toe with Tadej Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel at the 2025 Tour de France despite his age, Team Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe head of performance Dan Lorang believes.
Lorang insists Roglic, 35, can still live up to his billing among the favourites for the annual jaunt around France next year, despite his all-conquering rival Pogacar being nine-years his junior.
Their confidence is partly predicated on Roglic having taken up elite cycling at the age of 23, after famously starting out as a ski jumper.
"Primoz can still be there with Pogacar and Evenepoel. If we get his build-up and preparation right, why can’t he?" Lorang said in an interview with Velo. "We see Primoz’s numbers are as good as ever, improving even.
"Primoz’s age doesn’t really mean anything. He’s eight, 10 years older than Pogacar and those guys, but as a cyclist, he’s the same.
"He’s probably been on a bike the same amount of time as them, and that plays a big role. We’re not seeing ‘age’ impact Primoz like other athletes."
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‘Just incredible!’ - Roglic reacts to World Championships win by Slovenia team-mate Pogacar
Video credit: TNT Sports
Lorang added: "It’s about how much space there still is for development. Because Primoz is so ‘young’ in cycling he’s not reached his ceiling. There’s still room for him to develop, just like there is for Evenepoel, Pogacar.
"We believe he can still even get better. We see that in his numbers, and that keeps us confident about the future."
Lorang referenced his training of iron-distance triathletes Jan Frodeno and Anne Haug, who were breaking course records deep into their thirties.
He said: "Some think it’s a disadvantage to be getting older and not recovering so well. My experience in other sports disproves that. I’ve seen athletes bringing their best performances even in the late 30s.
"I know Primoz can be the same."
Speaking at the Saitama Criterium earlier this month, however, Roglic admitted that it was a "challenge" to keep up with the modern style of racing. Indeed, Pogacar is known for long-range attacks that threaten the peloton into action from the race’s start-line.
"It’s a completely different way of thinking, a completely different way of racing," Roglic said. "It’s a challenge for all of us older guys that still try to achieve good results.
"It’s a challenge for me to be going with the steps of the younger generation, to try to adapt to this style of racing."
Stream the 2025 cycling season, including the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes, live on discovery+
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