Primoz Roglic made a great attack on the eighth stage of the Vuelta a España. The Slovenian rider from Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe initially left his team behind, but thanks to the remarkable recovery by Israel-Premier Tech, he was able to fight for the win. He personally left all his competitors behind on the final climb and gained about a minute on Ben O’Connor.

“I didn’t expect to be in contention for the stage win,” said the experienced rider in a quick interview. “It was very hard and also very hot. But towards the end of the race the opportunity suddenly presented itself. Of course I grabbed it with both hands.”

A gift from Israel’s Prime Minister Tech

Roglic also spoke about the hard work of Israel-Premier Tech, which gave everything to catch the breakaway in the service of Michael Woods. However, the best rider of this team to finish was George Bennett, who finished in 16th place. “I understood their approach,” Roglic said. “We were ready to help, but one guy (Riley Sheehan, ed.) did a lot of the work. So we didn’t have to help. That was it for us.”

The final climb was one that suited Roglic very well on paper. This was confirmed in training, which the winner also admitted. “Yes, pretty much. But I always want to go full throttle, whether it’s uphill or downhill. I was also a bit lucky to have good legs in this heat. Am I happy with the time I gained? Of course, but we shouldn’t be hasty. Maybe I’ll lose time next time.”