STA, 15 September 2019 - Cycling sensation Primož Roglič (Team Jumbo-Visma) became the first Slovenian to win a grand tour race, as he crossed the finish line of La Vuelta in Madrid on Sunday. What is more, another Slovenian, the young Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates), completed the three-week race in place three and claimed the white jersey of the best young cyclist.

Roglič's total time was 83 hours, 31 minutes and seven seconds and he also claimed the green jersey for the highest tally of points.

In second place, Spanish veteran Alejandro Valverde finished the race in 83 hours, 9 minutes and 47 seconds, while Pogačar completed it in 83 hours, 10 minutes and 9 seconds.

The victory for Roglič, a 29-year-old former ski jumper, comes after a third place at the Giro d'Italia this year, another grand tour. He sat out this year's Tour de France to prepare for la Vuelta but also because he became father for the first time.

Roglič claimed the red jersey of la Vuelta in stage 10, becoming the first Slovenian to win a stage at all three grand tours and only the 99th cyclist to do so.

For the 20-year-old Pogačar, this was the first ever grand tour. He has shown what he is made of by winning three very demanding stages and has become the first UAE Team Emirates member to climb a grand tour podium since the team was renamed in 2017.

STA, 6 September 2019 - Slovenia proved to be a cycling tour superpower on Friday as Tadej Pogačar won the 13th stage of the Vuelta ahead of Primož Roglič, who increased the overall lead in the race of Spain.

The 166-kilometre stage between Bilbao and Los Machucos finished with a short (6.8km) but hellishly steep climb, where the Slovenian pair soon broke away to make Slovenia's biggest success ever.

In the all-Slovenian finish, Pogačar, the 20-year-old UAE Emirates rider, won his second stage victory to advance to the 2nd spot overall, putting on the best young rider's white jersey.

Wearing the race leader's red jersey, Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) only increased his overall lead ahead of Spain's Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) to two minutes and 25 seconds.

Pogačar, in his debut appearance at the Vuelta, lags three minutes and a second behind.

Coming in third in the 13th stage, France's Pierre Latour (AG2R La Mondiale) finished as many as 27 seconds behind the Slovenian riders today.

"I'm happy about today's achievement but the Vuelta is not over yet," Roglič commented after the race.

Pogačar was in disbelief: "I was told by the radio link that no one was behind us, I felt I'was looking at a good chance. I'm overwhelmed."

STA, 3 September 2019 - Slovenian cycling star Primož Roglič won on Tuesday the tenth stage of the Vuelta a Espana race, the 36.2-km individual time-trial in France's Pau, taking the race leader's red jersey. The 29-year-old has thus become the first Slovenian to have won a stage at all three Grand Tours.

Roglič, who was the top favourite for today's victory, was ahead of his rivals the whole time during the stage, which started in Jurancon and ended in Pau.

The Jumbo-Visma rider was 21 seconds ahead of his fellow countrymen Tadej Pogačar at the first time measurement and 19 seconds ahead of New Zealand's Patrick Bevin, who took second place, estimating his losses to 25 seconds across the line.

"The time trial was difficult and I tried to beat it as quickly as possible. I'm happy about today's performance. I aimed to ride as fast as possible the whole stage and luckily it was enough for the win," Roglič said after his victory.

He gained a lot of advantage over his rivals at the top, having a minute and 52 seconds before the second-placed Spanish rider Alejandro Valverde, and could be another step closer to winning the Spanish Grand Tour.

"We'll see about that in Madrid. I won today, let's take it one step at a time," Roglič told the press.

He is currently also wearing the green jersey, worn by the leader in the points competition.

Pogačar, who was successful at the start of the dynamic time trial, eventually took the 11th place.

This is Roglič's 20th win in the world series, 10th this year, and 8th in time trial stages.

He won two stages at this year's Giro d'Italia, and won four of the six time trials he took part in this year.

The previous owner of the red jersey, Colombian Nairo Quintana, has 3 minutes and 6 seconds in losses behind Roglič.

Roglič has also become the second Slovenian to be wearing the Vuelta red jersey - before him only Janez Brajkovič managed the feat in 2006 and 2013.

STA, 10 June 2019 - Slovenia's best road cyclist Primož Roglič, who recently finished third in the Giro d'Italia, will not participate in this year's Tour de France, which will start on 6 July, his team Jumbo-Visma has announced.

Announcing the line-up for the renowned three-week race, the Dutch team confirmed on Monday what had been planned at the start of the season - that the 29-year-old Slovenian will skip it.

Slovenian fans had nevertheless hoped until the last moment that Roglič, who made his best career result in Italy and won two stages, would participate in the Tour de France.

The first name of the Jumbo-Visma team in France will be Dutchman Steven Kruijswijk, who was fifth last year. He will be accompanied by seven helpers.

Speculations about Roglič taking part as a helper and being allowed to win individual stages at the Tour de France appeared in the media after the Giro d'Italia, which ended on 2 June.

At the time, the Dutch team did not want to exclude the possibility of the Slovenian appearing in the race in which he finished fourth last year for the best Slovenian result ever.

STA, 2 June 2019 - Primož Roglič finished third overall at the Giro d'Italia for the first ever podium finish for Slovenian cyclists at the Grand Tour races.

Ahead of the last stage, a 17-km time trial in Verona, the 29-year-old was fourth overall, but he showed his sprinting skills to overtake Spain's Mikel Landa to make it to the podium.

Competing for Jumbo Visma team from the Netherlands, Roglič finished the time trial in 22 minutes and 33 seconds to miss his third win in time trials at this year's Giro D'Italia by 26 seconds.

He was the 10th fastest racer today, beating Landa (Movistar) by 31 seconds for the first podium finish at the Grand Tour races (Giro d'Italia, Tour de France and Vuelta a Espana) for Slovenian cyclists.

The race totalling 3,547 km was won by Richard Carapaz of Equador (Movistar) ahead of Italian Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain Merida). He conceded 49 seconds to Nibali in the last stage to win with an advantage of 1 minute and 5 seconds.

The podium finish for the former ski jumper comes after Roglič finished fourth overall at last year's Tour de France.

The only Slovenian who previously managed to make it to the top ten in Italy was Tadej Valjavec, who was 9th in 2004.

"It's funny to think that a small Slovenian can come to Giro and compete with the best," Roglič told Slovenian reporters in Verona Arena after the race. He added that the podium finish was like a win to him.

"I'm proud and happy," said Roglič, adding that "it is very nice to stand on the podium" and that he would probably realise what he had achieved only later.

"I'm also happy that Slovenians and their fans have lifted the race to another level. I enjoyed in the exceptional support. Thanks to everybody who came to support us," was Roglič's message to fans.

Roglič was in the overall lead for the first five stages as the first Slovenian ever to manage that at the Grand Tour races.

By stage eight, he dropped to 12th place, but in the following stage, he climbed back to the 2nd overall.

Roglič kept the second overall place until stage 16, when he dropped to 3rd, the place he kept until the 19th, mountain stage, when he was overtaken by Landa after receiving penalty seconds.

Slovenia's Jan Polanc (Bahrain Merida), who briefly wore the pink jersey as the race leader in stages 12 and 13, finished the race in the 14th spot overall. His compatriot Grega Bole was 110th.

STA, 1 June 2019 - Slovenian rider Primož Roglič fell further behind the pink jersey in Saturday's penultimate stage of the Giro d'Italia to slip from third to fourth in overall standings, with his fans costing him precious seconds.

With only the 17-kilometre individual time trial to go before the finish at the Verona Arena, Roglič is now 3 minutes and 16 seconds behind Ecuadorian Richard Carapaz, who retained the overall leader's pink jersey.

This includes ten penalty seconds slapped on the Jumbo-Visma rider after his Slovenian fans pushed his bike for a few seconds up the climb just below the Croce d'Aune pass.

This was after Roglič failed to defend an attack by Mikel Landa, Carapaz's lieutenant at Movistar, some 13 kilometres before the finish line.

A Slovenian fan was also involved in another incident following a few kilometres further as he knocked Colombian rider Miguel Angel Lopez off his bike running to close to him, earning a few punches from the Colombian in the process.

Today's tough 194-kilometre stage in the Dolomites, which featured five categorised climbs, finished at Monte Avena with the victory of Spain's Astana ruder Pello Bilbao ahead of his compatriot Landa, and Italian Giulio Ciccone.

Overall, Vincenzo Nibali continues in second, while Landa overtook Roglič in third.

STA, 19 May 2019 - Slovenian cyclist Primož Roglič won stage nine of the Giro d'Italia by finishing first in today's 34.8-kilometre time trial that ended in San Marino. His second victory in time trial earned Roglič second place overall. "My goal is to have the (pink) jersey in Verona," Roglič told the press.

Roglič, who already won the opening time trial, finished today's race on wet roads that ended with a 12-kilometre ascent to San Marino, in 51 minutes and 52 seconds.

Belgian Victor Campenaerts, the European champion who broke the hour record last month, came 11 seconds behind him, followed by Dutch Bauke Mollema, who was a minute behind.

Italian Valerio Conti has retained his pink jersey, but Roglič is now only a minute and 50 seconds behind in second place.

"Everything worked out for me today. It was a shame that the rain started just before the start and it stayed rainy until the end. I tried to minimise the risks in the turn, and make up for the difference in the difficult parts," Roglič told the press.

The third and decisive time trial will be held on the last day of the race in Verona. "My goal is to have the (pink) jersey in Verona. I'm not sorry that I don't have it now," said Roglič, smiling.

He was hinting to the media obligations that the pink jersey brings. Cyclists will have a day off on Monday, and since the Tuesday and Wednesday races will be more or less flat, he is planning on saving his strength.

After wearing the pink jersey for the first five days of the legendary race, Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) lost the overall lead to Conti (UAE Emirates) on Thursday and dropped to 11th place.

STA, 15 May 2019 - Slovenian cyclist Primož Roglič remains the race leader at the Giro d'Italia after stage five on Wednesday, retaining a 35-second overall lead on the Brit Simon Yates.

Roglič crossed the finish line in 61st place but in the time of the winner, the German Pascal Ackerman, who won a sprint finish in pouring rain to claim his second victory in this year's race.

The 29-year-old Slovenian has been in the lead since the first stage of the race and is the first rider in 16 years to have worn the pink jersey for the first five days.

While the riders braved 140 kilometres in freezing rain today, Thursday's sixth stage covers 238km from Cassino to San Giovanni Rotondo.

STA, 13 May 2019 - Slovenian cyclist Primož Roglič has retained his pink jersey at the Giro d'Italia after yesterday and today's legs by finishing both in the leading group, after winning the first stage of the legendary race on Saturday.

The 29-year-old former ski jumper, who competes for Jumbo-Visma, is considered one of the favourites to win this year's race across Italy.

On Saturday, by taking the opening time trial, Roglič won a Giro stage for the second time in his career, the first coming in 2016.

Since switching to professional cycling, his achievements also include two victories at individual stages of Tour de France. Last year at the Tozur he also took fourth place in the overall standings.

Today's 220-km leg of the Giro, from Vinci to Orbetello in central Italy, ended with a sprint by the leading group. It was won by Columbia's Fernando Gaviria.

STA, 5 May 2019 - Slovenian cycling sensation Primož Roglič clinched his second consecutive title as the overall winner of the Tour de Romandie after winning Sunday's time trial in Geneva in his third stage win of the week.

With three stage wins, one second and one third stage spots, the 29-year-old member of the Jumbo-Visma team also won the green jersey in the points classification.

Overall, he finished the race 49 seconds ahead of Portuguese rider Rui Costa, and 1:12 minutes ahead of last year's Tour de France winner, Geraint Thomas of Wales.

This is the fifth overall UCI World Tour race victory for Roglič after he took the titles of the tours of the Basque Country and Romandy last year, and won the premiere UAE Tour and the Tirreno-Adriatico race earlier this year.

He has also won two Tour of Slovenia titles (2015 and 2018), the 2017 race of Algarve and the 2015 Tour of Azerbaijan. He finished fourth overall in the 2018 Tour de France.

He is one of the favourites to win the Giro d'Italia, starting with a time trial in Bologna on Saturday.

"I'm ready for the Giro now. I'm happy with how the whole week evolved. I'm always glad to come back here," Roglič commented. "I've had a fine day, a fine victory. The team and I did everything right."