As the 2020 cycling season draws nearer to its end, it has certainly been anything but predictable—but perhaps we should have seen this one coming. Following Primož Roglič’s history-making win at the 2019 Vuelta, a first-such title for a competitor from his home country, the Slovenian cyclist has claimed Grand Tour glory again, earning back-to-back Vuelta victories and returning La Roja to the “sunny side of the Alps.” And just as in last year’s win, he led the way with fizik.

A NAIL-BITING BACK AND FORTH

From a early-season training to claiming his second Vuelta victory, Primož Roglič’s 2020 season has been dramatic, to say the least. After narrowly missing out on the maillot jaune in the Tour’s final time trial, fate saw fit to restore Roglič’s leader status following another race against the clock, this time on the Vuelta’s thirteenth stage, leading to his third (and ultimately lasting) turn wearing red.

And while Roglič’s commitment to winning was evident all along, getting there was anything but easy. In addition to the challenge of La Vuelta’s eighteen daunting stages, he’d soon find himself locked in a heated fight for first against fellow fizik rider and 2019 Giro d’Italia champion Richard Carapaz (Ineos Grenadiers).

From the outset climbing Alto de Arrete, the battle between these two riders was fierce, with Roglič ending this year’s opening stage in the same color as last year’s final, and managing to hold the top spot before a blistering attack on stage six catapulted Carapaz from third to first. Making up ground on the eighth stage, Roglič beat Carapaz to the finish atop Alto de Moncalvillo, narrowing the Ecuadorian’s overall lead before re-donning the red jersey two days later, somewhat controversially, with tied overall times.

Again two stages later, the jersey swapped backs as Carapaz managed to break the three-day, two-way tie on the steep slopes of Alto de l’Angliru. But this short lead wouldn’t hold, with Primož poetically reclaiming La Roja in an individual time trial, restoring self-confidence in a format that cost him considerably earlier in the season.

SUPPORTING VICTORIES

Beneath Primož Roglič’s powerful Vuelta performance sits the fizik Antares 00 Saddle, a race-bred saddle that’s earned accolades throughout the pro peloton as well as top spots on cycling’s grandest podiums. Rewind to Roglič’s 2019 Vuelta win, and while the competition was different, the saddle was the same.

Of course, Primož wasn’t the only pro making waves at La Vuelta with fizik. Second-place finisher Richard Carapaz can stand tall following a strong showing throughout the race as well as the entire season.

To Primož Roglič and his Jumbo Visma team, as well as all our fizik riders and fans around the world, congratulations on creating history again, on re-winning the Vuelta and making it an unprecedented, unforgettable Grand Tour season!

When the 2020 road racing season finally kicks of this fall, it will almost certainly look quite different than in years past. As riders prepare in the runup to the first races, training has also taken on a different form, with group rides in the great outdoors swapped for solo spins inside and training camps traded for time at home with family.

To find out more, we spoke with Primož Roglič, last year’s Vuelta winner and the first Slovenian to claim Grand Tour victory, to ask how he’s been staying physically and mentally fit as well as what training means without his fellow Jumbo-Visma teammates.

First off, can you introduce yourself?

I’m Primož Roglic. I’m 30 years old and Slovenian.

Where have you spent this period of global quarantine? Can you tell us a bit about where you live?

I spent the whole lockdown at home in Slovenia. I am fortunate to be able to live in the midst of greenery and in nature, so I have not suffered much from having to stay at home. Instead, I tried to convey the message to others that you had to stay at home, It’s a question of respect for yourself and for your neighbor.

What has training looked like for you?

Thanks to Zwift and the rollers, I was able to continue pedaling, even without being able to train outside. Obviously, it was a completely different workout. I never really liked the rollers, I always preferred to ride outside, even in winter when it is cold or in bad weather.

It was strange to be able to train solely and exclusively on the rollers for more than forty days. Some days, I even had more than two sessions a day. You need to be very focused to be able to hold on to the rollers for more than three hours.

Although with Zwift you seem to be pedaling somewhere real, it’s not the same as the wind in your face, and the fatigue isn’t the same. I cycled every day with my child who enjoyed holding my water bottles, and this was the best thing about riding inside.

Are there any particular Zwift routes you recommend?

I don’t feel like recommending any virtual path. Ride outside, outdoors, be careful, but don’t give up the pleasure of freedom.

What fizik products are you riding?

I have been riding with the Antares 00 saddle for three years now. I like the stiffness of the saddle and its lightness. These two factors are fundamental for marginal gains when you are going uphill and every small component can make a difference.

The thing I like most about fizik is that I can work with innovative people who listen to my feedback to try to improve continuously. The Adaptive saddle fascinates me a lot. I think that with this new product, fizik has managed to get noticed even more as a brand aimed at absolute innovation.

I believe that everyone needs to have a dedicated product for themselves, and with this saddle in a few years, everyone will be able to have an exclusive rigid performance saddle, suitable for any type of need.

How have you been staying mentally fit during this time?

The lockdown was a very strange moment for an athlete of my caliber, who is used to being away from home for training at least four hours a day and staying away from home for competitions, retreats and commitments with the team for more than 250 days a year. Usually, I’m only off for a few weeks in October, and I’ve never had the chance to spend so much time at home with my family. It was pleasant to spend time with my little boy, who was born last year shortly after the Giro d’Italia. I had the opportunity to be able to spend a lot of time with him, to see him grow up and to be a dad full time.

I can say that, thanks to my family, I have not suffered so much.

What are you most looking forward to from the upcoming racing season?

It will be great to get back into the thrill of competition, to feel the energy and excitement and to ride with my teammates again. I expect it will be a bit bittersweet to leave my home and family and our new normal, but I’m eager to push myself again and to see how this unusual training season pays off.

As we too eagerly anticipate the excitement and familiarity of the pro cycling season, we wish Primož and all our fizik riders, whether indoors or out, happy riding and a fast return.  

An outstanding achievement by Team Jumbo-Visma’s Primož Roglič to claim his first La Vuelta a España victory!

It was a commanding performance by the Slovenian to take his first Grand Tour win, the GC victory in Madrid coming as the result of the rider’s strength of character as well as his riding ability, and thanks to a great support from the Team Jumbo-Visma riders throughout the three-week race.

The role-in to the Spanish capital, on the flat, final 106km stage, celebrating by sipping Cava with his team-mates, a fitting culmination to an amazing year for the 29-year-old. He won the first three stage races of the campaign that he entered: the UAE Tour, Tirreno-Adriatico, and the Tour of Romandie.

He had already won stages at the other two Grand Tours, but this was the first time at the mountainous Vuelta for the Roglič  – and he’s clearly very happy on Spanish soil!

It surprised few people that Roglič  won the Individual Time Trial, although the margin and apparent ease of the stage victory turned a few heads. From start to finish, Roglič has ridden strongly with his Antares 00 saddle, withstanding repeated attacks on the many mountain stages in an amazing display of endurance and fortitude.

Bravo Primoz!

The 2019 Giro has been amazing for fizik riders, with overall victory for Richard Carapaz of Movistar Team and a podium for Team Jumbo-Visma’s Primož Roglič.

The 102nd edition of the Corsa Rosa brought a fresh format and new character to the 21-stage Grand Tour and was closely fought throughout. The General Classification battle swung from one fizik rider to another and was tough to predict right to the end, with the top four placings all up for grabs on the final day time trial shootout in historic Verona.

But the Ecuadorian climber’s efforts throughout the three weeks – with great support from his Movistar Team – had given him a big enough lead and was enough to ensure he held on to the spot in his Infinito R1 Movistar Team shoes and Antares 00 saddle.

In the final overall standings Carapaz was 1’05” ahead of Vincenzo Nibali, and 2’30” from Roglič with Mikel Landa just 8 seconds behind.

HOW CARAPAZ DID IT

The 26-year-old – who celebrated his birthday on Wednesday 29 May – set the GC battle alight as he won Stage 4 by pulling away from a strong breakaway group, then claimed Stage 14 with a brilliant solo attack on the last two climbs.

He benefited from the superiority of his team – who won the General Super Team – not least the efforts of Landa who finished in a fine fourth position having worked hard for his younger team-mate in the final week. With a previous General Classification third place at the Corsa Rosa, and a near-miss at the Tour de France, Landa is undoubtedly a class act. And his two stage podium finishes this year – third on stage 13 and second on stage 20 – in support of Carapaz and in defence of his Maglia Rosa, also mark him as a loyal team player.

But it was Carapaz who was strongest and became the first Ecuadorian to win the Giro d’Italia – and the second South American after team-mate Nairo Quintana. With the final eight days in the Maglia Rosa, Carapaz sustained peak performance using his Infinito R1 Movistar Team shoes and Antares 00 saddle.

THE FIGHT FROM ROGLIC

29-year-old former ski jumper Primož Roglič captured the hearts of many fans with huge sustained effort to finish third overall with his Antares 00, as well as taking two stage wins at the 2019 Giro. In doing so, Roglic became the first Slovenian to make the final podium of a Grand Tour, his previous best having been fourth at the 2018 Tour de France.

But this year his target has been the Corsa Rosa, the early stage races building up to a Giro that featured three Individual Time Trials, and all with some climbing. And he set about it with determination from the very first starting ramp.

Roglič beasted the opening 8km Time Trial in Bologna – with its steep 2km finish – with a clear indication of his intent for the Grand Tour, setting him up for five days in the Maglia Rosa. He then took the second TT, Stage 9 into San Marino, winning by 11 seconds on the 34.8km route, putting himself back into second place on GC.

And the fairytale ending would have been making it three-out-of-three with the closing 17km TT in – but the final week in the mountains, and the Movistar riders, had caught up with him.

But this edition belonged to Richard Carapaz: it seems certain that we will see him with more Grand tour victories. And Roglic? He’ll be back!

Thanks to everyone for the entertainment.

Movistar Team’s Richard Carapaz claimed a stage victory for the second consecutive Giro d’Italia with an unlikely stage win in Frascati on a 235km course that had been expected to result in a bunch sprint.

He, and Team Jumbo-Visma’s General Classification leader Primož Roglič took their opportunities when they found themselves on the “right side” of another late crash on stage 4 that caused splits in the peloton. A group of six riders – including the Ecuadorian and the Slovenian –broke away in the last kilometres of what became a chaotic stage finish.

Carapaz knew that the six included sprinters and was brave to time his move perfectly at only 400m out, after almost 6 hours of racing, to hold off a late effort by fast-man Caleb Ewan.

25-year-old Carapaz took his second Grand Tour win, and Roglič saw his GC lead grow from 19 seconds to 35, as some of his main rivals were held up in the aftermath of the crash, including Movistar Team’s Mikel Landa who dropped 36 seconds.

29-year-old Roglič retains the Maglia Rosa that he earned with his convincing win on Stage 1 in an unusually short Individual Time Trial, featuring steep climbs in the last 2 of its 8km, up to the San Luca sanctuary just outside Bologna. As well as putting down the power on that opening stage he has shown the wisdom to stay out of trouble on the following days – all part of the craft of a serious GC contender, which is exactly what Roglič looks right now!

It’s been an exciting and unpredictable opening four stages, with no doubt lots more drama to some before we reach Verona on 2nd June.

Jumbo-Visma’s GC leader Primož Roglič is in the pink from the earliest opportunity after claiming the first Maglia Rosa of the 102nd Corsa Rosa.

The Slovenian was head and shoulders ahead of his competitors, winning the opening stage of the Giro d’Italia on the 8km Individual Time Trial – with its spiky 2km climb at the finish to the San Luca sanctuary – forging a 19-second advantage over the chasing pack that he has maintained after the following two stages which featured sprint finishes.

As bad weather had been predicted towards the end of the Stage 1 running order many of the favorites took the early slots available to their teams, creating an unusual situation where the lead was held from near the start of proceedings. Roglič went early and was to wait in the hot-seat for more than two hours until his victory was confirmed after the solid but ultimately unsuccessful effort by Simon Yates, then the final run from Salvatore Puccio.

The Slovenian’s Stage 1 win sets up the overall battle perfectly, with his General Classification rivals all facing a time deficit and psychological hill to climb.

Team Jumbo – Visma’s Primoz Roglic has won the 54th edition of Tirreno-Adriatico in style, with a final stage Individual Time Trial performance to remember. His near-perfect technique on the San Benedetto del Tronto 10km out-and-back course saw him overturn a 25-second deficit to his closest General Classification rival – with the winning margin, just 0.31 seconds!

This year’s edition of The Race of the Two Seas was made even more difficult with the introduction of “muri” – short, sharp ‘wall’ climbs through the center of Italy throughout the seven-day stage race from Italy’s west coast to the east coast. And the promised spectacle didn’t disappoint.

The lead had changed hands early in the week-long race, but the former ski-jumper’s performances each day were consistent, and he remained in a podium position throughout, keeping the gap to the GC leader just within reach for him to overhaul on the short final time trial.

Roglic hit the first timecheck 10 seconds off the quickest time at 4.4km, and maintained his pace to finish just shy of the top 10 on the day. It was enough to give him the split-second advantage and see him awarded the famous ‘Neptune’s Trident’ trophy.