‘I call the peloton MotoGP’ - Roglic blown away by peloton’s increasing speed

Primož Roglič has described his 2025 racing season as "solid" but admitted that cycling's increasing speeds have made competition tougher than ever. Speaking after his charity event, Golden Circle in Novo Mesto, to Siol.net, the 35-year-old Slovenian reflected on a year that saw him win the Tour of Catalunya but abandon the Giro d'Italia following crashes.

"I definitely would have liked more," Roglič said. "I'd be lying if I said I'm happy with it after all the training and effort, but the results are what they are. My level was solid, I achieved what I could, or a little bit more, but the others were a little bit faster."

The veteran rider expressed amazement at the current speeds in professional cycling, comparing the peloton to motorcycle racing. "I already call the peloton MotoGP. The speeds are really incredible, astonishing," he said, predicting next year would be even faster.

After finishing eighth overall at the Tour de France - his first completion of the race after several years of bad luck - Roglič now faces significant changes within his Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe team. Belgian superstar Remco Evenepoel's arrival coincides with the departure of sporting directors Rolf Aldag and Enrico Gasparotto.

Rather than viewing these changes negatively, Roglič sees Evenepoel's addition as potentially liberating. "That's basically a good thing. For me, it might mean that I can step aside a bit, if I may call it that. As for all that responsibility and all the things besides cycling," he explained.

"Now we have one younger one that everyone can hang on to. I'm hoping that maybe I'll have a little more peace, a little more freedom."

The restructuring appears to offer Roglič a chance to simplify his role in the team. "I'm looking forward to peace mainly from the point of view that I'm just a cyclist. Simply. To do only those things that the coach prescribes to me and not worry about additional things in terms of nutrition, aerodynamics, material and the like."

With one year remaining on his contract, Roglič dismissed speculation about leaving the team following these changes. "I didn't even comment on it much, everyone else was talking. If you asked me, I would tell you that I have one year left on my contract," he stated.

Looking ahead to 2026, the Slovenian emphasised the need for careful planning with the team's new structure. "We need to sit down, think carefully about what is possible and what is not. Above all, I want real things. Realistic conversations and realistic goals."

When asked about potentially teaming up with Evenepoel and emerging talent Florian Lipowitz to challenge dominant rider Tadej Pogačar, Roglič remained pragmatic. "We can really remove all this responsibility or pressure from one rider, distribute it to three, but there may be a few more possibilities. But the entire UAE Emirates team isn't exactly a 'shoe' either. We'll see."