Primoz Roglic, Giro Winner And Cycling's King Of Bouncing Back

Rome, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th May, 2023 ) :Primoz Roglic's first Giro d'Italia triumph symbolised a turbulent career in cycling, with brutal lows and moments like the final stage in Rome on Sunday where he seems to win in cruise control.

Slovenian Roglic has had a bumpy ride as a professional road cyclist after the former ski jumper's late arrival to the sport just over a decade ago.

The 33-year-old's American teammate Sepp Kuss says "adversity makes him stronger" and Roglic has had plenty of opportunity to prove that over an eventful career.

The son of a labourer father and medical assistant mother, Jumbo-Visma rider Roglic grew up in the mountains in Kisovec, an hour's drive from ski-jumping hotspot Planica.

He excelled at the winter sport and became world junior team champion in 2007, the same year a spectacular crash at Planica pushed him towards cycling.

His charge into cycling success began with an exercise bike he was forced to pedal while recovering from injury, the experience sparking a passion which would eventually bring him four Grand Tour victories.

Roglic started riding for Adria-Mobil in 2013 when he was so green he would often not eat, for fear of falling, finishing races famished.

But he also showed obvious talent both as a rouleur and a climber, abilities which earned him two stage victories in the Tour de France, in 2017 on the iconic Galibier and the following year at Laruns.

His ups and downs have become even more dramatic over the past three years at Jumbo-Visma.

In 2020 he crashed out of the Criterium du Dauphine, the traditional warm-up for the Tour, while holding the yellow jersey.

Then he lost that year's Tour in a manner which still haunts him, handing the overall lead to his countryman Tadej Pogacar in the penultimate stage, an individual time trial up the Planche des Belles Filles.

He showed his strength of character by winning Liege-Bastogne-Liege and claiming the second of his three Vuelta wins.

The following year followed a similar path. He lost Paris-Nice from a leading position on the final stage after crashing twice, before another crash ended his chances at the Tour de France.

He rebounded to become Olympic time-trial champion in Tokyo before completing a hat-trick of Vuelta wins.

Last September, Roglic finally decided to have an operation on his left shoulder, which he has so often clunked back into place after going to ground.

He dragged himself up once again in this year's Giro, which has been another slog interrupted by further falls which left him with a deep gash in his hip.

"A lot of things have happened on this Giro," he joked on Saturday with his son on his knees. "I lost a piece of meat." His eventful career has considerably softened a once stern demeanour.

Discreet and quiet, Roglic has become increasingly relaxed as the seasons pass. He offered a confident assessment before this year's chaotic Giro set off.

"I age like a fine wine."