The Slovenian professional cyclist Primoz Roglic won the start of the Tour of the Basque Country and achieved his first success for the top German team Bora-hansgrohe. The 34-year-old clearly set the best time in the opening time trial in Irun on Easter Monday in 12:31 minutes.
“I am very happy. I almost missed the finish in the end, but otherwise I really enjoyed it today,” said Roglic, who took a wrong turn in the final phase.
Vingegaard also has no chance
At the finish, Roglic was seven seconds ahead of the Australian Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates), while the Dane Mattias Skeljmose (Lidl-Trek/+10 seconds) came third. Belgian time trial world champion Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step), who crashed in a corner, was another second behind. The two-time tour champion Jonas Vingegaard (Visma – Lease a Bike/+ 0:18) also had nothing to oppose Roglic in fifth place.
The best German was Roglic’s teammate Maximilian Schachmann (Berlin), who continued to show improving form in eighth place (+16). The two-time Paris-Nice winner had already impressed Miguel Indurain with ninth place in the strong Gran Premio one-day race on Saturday.
For Roglic, who won the Tour of the Basque Country in 2018 and 2021, the victory was a liberation. His first appearance for Bora-Hansgrohe in March was disappointing. At Paris-Nice, the four-time Grand Tour winner was still far from his best. Roglic is expected to take Bora-hansgrohe’s first podium in Paris at the Tour de France in the summer.
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Roglic’s lead in the overall ranking of the Tour of the Basque Country should not be in danger on Tuesday. The 160 kilometer long second stage from Irun to Kanbo over undulating terrain does not offer enough difficulties. The Basque Country Tour ends on Saturday in Eibar. The hardest stage awaits the professionals with three climbs in the first category.