On paper, it appeared easy. Primož Roglič claimed one other hugely-prestigious stage victory on the Vuelta a España on Wednesday as Jumbo-Visma turned in but yet one more outstanding show of group power to brush each the highest three locations on the Angliru and enhance their collective grip on the highest three locations total.
However as Roglič and Jonas Vingegaard’s joint assault noticed them drop race chief and teammate Sepp Kuss and squeeze down the American’s total benefit within the course of, immediately it received much more sophisticated. In a nutshell, after Vingegaard’s win 24 hours earlier and now Roglič’s on the Angliru, the questions relating to the Jumbo-Visma Vuelta a España juggernaut, and which of the triumvirate of leaders is definitely within the driving seat in relation to going for total victory in Madrid, are steadily intensifying.
Roglič and Vingegaard each expressed their hopes, post-stage, that Kuss wins the Vuelta. However Roglič additionally recognised he has his personal ambitions for triumph in Madrid a fourth time. Squaring that specific circle can solely be something however simple. Notably as after dropping time to his teammates for 2 straight days, Kuss’ grip on the general now hangs by the slenderest of threads, with Vingegaard a mere eight seconds behind and Roglič at 1:08.
Maybe unsurprisingly, the primary query Roglič confronted in his winner’s press convention was not regarding how he has now triumphed on two of Spain’s hardest climbs, the Lagos de Covadonga in 2021 and the Angliru in 2023, however who he would wager on to win the Vuelta outright.
“I’d want it was me,” Roglič answered, earlier than immediately qualifying that with the remark, “however in the intervening time Sepp is within the crimson, and I want him to complete in crimson and it’s additionally my duty to do my finest.
“On the finish, the highway will inform who wins this yr,” he added. “When it’s so steep, it’s man on man, so I simply did my finest and we see what it means. All three of us are collectively and we simply hold preventing. When Sepp was dropped, it’s a little bit of a wierd feeling, however on this race all of us have the freedom to go for it.”
What ‘everybody can do their finest’ meant on the Angliru in actual phrases was that when Roglič made a gradual, drawn-out acceleration 2.8 kilometres from the road, solely Vingegaard was capable of observe, and an remoted Kuss struggled.
Kuss then briefly regained contact with the 2 forward after working with Bahrain Victorious’ Mikel Landa, solely to fall behind once more when Roglič and Vingegaard moved forward for a second time.
“It was so much nicer than final time,” Roglič stated in one other interview when requested to match 2023 to his extra irregular, much less profitable 2020 ascent of the Angliru, “It was probably not tactical. I did my very own tempo after which the climb will inform who’s first, second.”
Bahrain Victorious put in numerous work on the climb and Roglič defined that “I allow them to [Bahrain Victorious] go for it, then when the tempo was dropping I stated [to myself], ‘OK go for it and I’ll experience my very own tempo’.”
Did he realise Kuss was dropped? “Sure, however I simply did my very own tempo. It’s a bizarre feeling, a bizarre, factor, simply on such steep climbs all people goes as quick as potential after which we see.”
As for whether or not he thought Kuss may win the Vuelta, Roglič answered that he was satisfied that was the case.
“I stated to him, hold preventing, hold believing and he’ll make it.”
But for all Roglič’s evident goodwill in direction of Kuss, the questions persist about who would resolve on the chief or who will win the Vuelta.
“Our bosses,” Roglič replied, earlier than laughing and making it clear that was a joke. “The factor is we’ll see, all of us have to do our greatest and do it truthfully and whoever has the legs can be there.”
The perfect situation, he concluded, was that every one three of them would end on the rostrum in Madrid, one thing which after the Angliru, as all of Jumbo-Visma’ rivals struggled, seems to be all however a foregone conclusion.
However as for the order of the highest three, and the way Jumbo-Visma will resolve that subject, the dilemma – or ought to that be a ‘trilemma’? – stays a thriller. And there are solely 4 days left to resolve it.
