Disaster on the Ascent: Primož Roglič’s Giro Hopes Hang by a Thread
Stage 9 of the Giro d’Italia dawned with promise for Primož Roglič. The Slovenian superstar, clad in Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe colors, rolled to the start line poised and focused, leading the charge in the general classification. The mountainous stage was meant to be another test of strength — one he had trained for meticulously. But within the span of an hour, everything unraveled.
As the peloton charged through a narrow descent early in the stage, the tension was palpable. Roglič, well aware of the treacherous corners, held his line tightly behind his teammates. But fate intervened. A slick patch of road, likely moistened by an overnight drizzle, caught his front wheel. In an instant, Roglič was on the ground, sliding across the asphalt in a painful ballet of carbon and flesh.
Teammates scrambled to shield him, while mechanics rushed to replace a twisted derailleur. He remounted, bloodied but determined. The clock was already ticking, his rivals surging ahead.
Barely ten kilometers later, as he attempted to bridge back to the favorites’ group, disaster struck again — a rear puncture. He slammed his handlebars in frustration as he slowed to a halt. His team car wasn’t immediately in reach, and the minutes bled away like the gravel embedded in his jersey.
By the time Roglič was back on the bike, the race had changed. The mountains, once an arena for him to assert dominance, now loomed as brutal obstacles. His rhythm was off, the pain in his hip growing with every pedal stroke.
As he crossed the line that afternoon, there were no raised arms or subtle smirks — only a vacant stare behind cracked sunglasses. Primož Roglič’s Giro was not yet over, but the battle had taken a cruel turn. From favorite to fighter, the road ahead would demand everything he had left — and then some.
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