For Primož Roglič, Remco Evenepoel is “on a different level” at this Vuelta a España. For his Jumbo-Visma directeur sportif Addy Engels, he is “in a different league.”
The wording differs slightly but the concept is the same. For now, at least, Roglič’s Vuelta is about riding out the Remco storm and hoping the young Belgian falters somewhere on the road to Madrid.
The trouble is that Evenepoel has shown few signs of relenting so far, having built his current 2:41 advantage over Roglič in three instalments and on three different terrains.
He began by gaining over a minute on Pico Jano on stage 6 and then distanced Roglič again on the vertiginous slopes of Les Praeres before tacking on another 48 seconds in Tuesday’s time trial to Alicante.
It was the first time Roglič had ever lost a time trial on Spanish roads. He expressed satisfaction with his own performance. He had, by his own reckoning, controlled the controllables. The problem was that Evenepoel had ridden 1.6kph faster over the 30km course.
“I hoped for less, and I hoped maybe even to win a few seconds back, but I stay away from predicting the differences in time trials because just you never know,” Engels told Cyclingnews.
“To be very honest, Primoz did a very good TT, but Remco was just in a different league. He was very strong. I have nothing but respect for his performance but also for the performance of Primoz.”
In some ways, Roglič’s defeat in Alicante scarcely altered his task at the Vuelta. After the first week, it already seemed clear that he and the rest of the peloton were relying on an Evenepoel collapse to change the course of this race.
Jumbo-Visma will hope that Roglič can outlast Evenepoel as the race draws on but the Belgian youngster currently appears untouchable in a head-to-head contest. That thought may well shape Roglič’s approach to the summit finish at Peñas Blancas on stage 12 on Thursday.
“At the moment, we’re in the situation that we have to hope that Primoz can still improve a bit,” Engels said.
“We have to wait and see at the moment. If the opportunities come then we have to be up there to take them, but as it looks now, in these few days – for the third week we have to see – but for now it’s about trying to keep the situation as it is. And hope for the best.”
Primoz is a ‘no risk, no glory’ guy
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