If Primož Roglič’s fitness for the 2025 Giro d’Italia is as sharp as his ability to handle potentially provocative questions, then he could dominate this edition even more than Tadej Pogačar did in 2024.

' Ten ,' the Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe leader replied nonchalantly when asked by a journalist to rate his current form on a scale of one to ten. And when the reporter tried to press him by suggesting that it was 'enough to win the Giro,' Roglič replied with a smile: 'You never know, someone might be at 15. In that case it wouldn't be enough.'

Despite being just hours away from his fourth Giro d'Italia and the big favorite, the Slovenian appeared far from under pressure during the press conference. With his Red Bull cap worn backwards to emphasize his relaxed attitude, he chatted calmly with rival Juan Ayuso and greeted the journalists in attendance with familiarity.

His final preparation in Albania was minimal, with just one training outing before Friday's departure. 'That should be enough,' he initially commented, before adding ironically ' it has to be enough .'

However, behind this apparent nonchalance lies an athlete of absolute dedication, as revealed by his Belgian coach Marc Lamberts: 'If Primož were to settle for fourth place, I would have a very easy job. But for him , all that matters is winning . We have to train so hard that we are always on the limit. As a coach, you push yourself so far that it is no longer fun. There is a risk that he will collapse because we have overdone it, Primož knows that. But we have no choice if we want to win.'