Tour de Romandie winner Roglic returns to Innsbruck

Primoz Roglic has enjoyed an outstanding start to 2018. After claiming overall victory in the Tour of the Basque Country in early April, the pro rider from team Lotto NL Jumbo secured top spot in the general classification of the Tour de Romandie on Sunday. Far from heading to the beach to celebrate and recover, there is no let-up in Roglic’s training schedule. After the recon in Tirol he will be heading to France to prepare for the Tour of Slovenia in June, which he won in 2015, and then the Tour de France in July. “I will use these days to take a closer look at the World Championships courses and some sections of the Tour de France. I rode the course of the Men Elite Road Race yesterday – the profile suits me,” says Roglic. 

Roglic started road cycling just six years ago after ending his career as a professional ski jumper. He has already shown his outstanding talent in both sports. In 2007 he won the Junior World Ski Jumping Championships in Planica and claimed gold as a member of the Slovenian national ski jumping team. Ten years later he took second place in the Men Elite Individual Time Trial at the UCI Road World Championships in Bergen. At last year’s Tour de France the 28-year-old took victory on the stage from La Mure to Serre-Chevalier featuring some of the Tour’s most iconic climbs.

While ski jumping is about going downhill fast, at this year’s UCI Road World Championships in Innsbruck-Tirol Roglic can look forward to uphill gradients of up to 28% on the final climb of the day known as the Höttinger Höll. “Jumping downhill is of course easier than riding uphill – but it is also much more dangerous,” he explains with a smile. “The Höll climb will be an interesting challenge that will push all the riders to their absolute limit.” When it comes to the mental side, however, Roglic sees more similarities than differences between road cycling and ski jumping: “It’s all about believing in yourself – that is equally true for both sports.”

The famous Bergisel ski jump in the south of Innsbruck is a familiar sight to Roglic from his days as a pro ski jumper: “I have jumped here before. It is a great feeling to come back now as a visitor. I have also had a little bit of time to take a look around Innsbruck. The oldtown with the snow-capped mountains in the background is really beautiful.” 

From 22 to 30 September the 2018 UCI Road World Championships will take place in Innsbruck-Tirol. 1000 athletes will be competing in twelve races in three disciplines; the UCI Team Time Trial, the Individual Time Trial and the Road Race. The races will start in four different locations and all finish in the centre of Innsbruck, the regional capital of Tirol. The four start locations for the 2018 UCI Road World Championships are Ötztal (AREA 47), Hall-Wattens (Swarovski Crystal Worlds), Rattenberg in Alpbachtal-Seenland and Kufstein. Up to 500,000 spectators are expected for the duration of the event. No matter whether you are a VIP guest or a fan at the finish line, ticket holders for the 2018 UCI Road World Championships will be at the heart of the action when the new UCI World Champions sprint for the finish line. DJs and live bands will be a part of the program too. Ticket holders can also use public transport in Innsbruck (IVB) and throughout Tirol (VTT) free of charge on the day of the event. Tickets start at € 9.90 and can be purchased online at www.innsbruck-tirol2018.com. Looking to travel to Innsbruck for the 2018 UCI Road World Championships? Look no further! Eurotours International is offering a great deal here. 

Interview with Primoz Roglic