The Slovenian champion, despite the difficulties and injuries of the first two weeks, does not withdraw from the pink race
Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe have confirmed that Primoz Roglic will continue his Giro d'Italia , ending speculation that the Slovenian champion could withdraw after crashing several times in the first two weeks of the race.
Roglic, who wore the pink jersey on two stages this year, is now 10th in the overall standings, 3:53 behind leader Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG). His ride was marred by three significant crashes: one during the gravel stage in Siena, another during the reconnaissance for the Pisa time trial and finally in the bunch crash on stage 14.
Difficult moment for the Slovenian champion
On stage 15, Roglic showed clear signs of difficulty , losing 90 seconds to the favourites on the final second-category climb. Sports director Christian Pömer had initially said that the decision on whether to continue would be in the hands of the medical staff, stressing that
'there's no point in hiding that you're not feeling well and that you're in pain'
Towards the decisive mountains
Despite the concerns, the winner of the 2023 Giro will be at the start of the crucial stage 16, which includes 203 km from Piazzola sul Brenta to San Valentino with almost 5,000 meters of elevation gain. A day that could prove decisive for his general classification ambitions.
