The arrival of Primoz Roglic certainly changes the hierarchy within the team. Cyclists like Cian Uijtdebroeks, Aleksandr Vlasov, Lennard Kämna, and Jai Hindley, who were traditional team leaders, will now have a secondary role when it comes to the Tour de France, which is the main focus for the newly signed Slovenian. Ralph Denk, the manager of the German team, responded to various questions about how things will be for these cyclists with the arrival of Roglic.
How did the other team leaders react to his arrival?
“It was very important to be transparent with these guys. I talked to them before we had any discussions. The feedback from these guys was quite positive. This is mainly because it’s really a big step forward for the entire team. It’s also important that everyone stays on the same page. Primoz’s arrival also increases the chances for other guys.”
“I’m very happy with what, for example, Aleksandr Vlasov, Lennard Kämna, and Jai Hindley have done for our team. I expect many more good results from them. Nowadays, you can only win a race if you are a very united team. So we need all of them. The calendar is also big. Too big, even, if you ask me. On the other hand, we can make a good plan that respects individual goals.”
“But Primož’s goals are the highest priority. Once all the routes are known, we will sit down with the entire team to find a good balance. I am super optimistic about this.”
And what about the great talent Cian Uijtdebroeks, what will Roglič’s arrival change for him?
“Nothing. Cian is extremely talented. I’m very happy with what we’ve achieved together with him in recent years. He came from our junior team, so we grew together to this level. I see Primož’s arrival as a big advantage for him. As I got to know Primož in recent days, he has exactly the same personality as Cian.
Both have a huge winning mentality, love what they do, and enjoy being professional cyclists. I also see this in Cian very much. He can learn a lot from Primož, who is a role model for every athlete. This transfer is a great advantage for both of them.”