Seeing Primoz Roglic on the highest step of the podium doesn’t surprise anyone. The 31-year-old Slovenian performed an unbelievable run, completing the 44,2 km-route in 55’04” – faster than 48 km/h. His Jumbo-Visma teammate Tom Dumolin (Netherlands) was 1’01” late and gained the silver medal, whereas Rohan Dennis (Australia) made it to the last step of the podium with 1’04”.
Bike racing fans got to know Primoz some seasons ago, although only a bunch of them heard of his unique story and, especially, of how he entered the cycling world. This is precisely the story we want to celebrate today, a story that shows that even a radical change if nourished with passion and a strong will to get back on one’s feet, can bear extraordinary fruits – like Olympic Gold.
BICYCLE: FROM REHABILITATION TOOL TO MEANS OF TRIUMPH.
Primoz Roglic wanted to be the world’s number one. Not in road cycling, but in ski jumping. His career struggles to take off because of several injuries. However, the crucial point in his sports life is represented by the terrible crash from the trampoline in Planica in 2007. That is the breakpoint: Roglic starts cycling as a form of rehabilitation and, as it often happens, he falls in love with it. Due to the lack of victories, he decides to switch: in 2011 he starts cycling professionally.
After two years as an apprentice in the Gran Fondo and many victories, he makes some pressure to switch to the Slovenian Team Adria Mobil. The first year is pretty hard, but soon he starts collecting victories, which increase exponentially season after season. A great motor and a lot of power grant him several victories, especially in time trials. He gets better and better in climbs while losing weight and showing his incredible psychophysical conditions.
What impresses the fans in Primoz’s single-day races is the focus and the perseverance they can see in his eyes. He’s a silent guy who seems to isolate himself completely from the world before a time trial race – an ability he surely acquired in his ski jumping years.
His beautiful performances and his great results with Team Adria Mobil lead him to a two-year contract with Dutch World Tour Jumbo in 2016. That’s his launchpad to the world’s finest cyclist: in the 2016-2017 season he obtains his first World Tour results and the silver medal in the UCI Road World Championships; in 2018 he finishes fourth in the Tour de France; in 2019 he ends up on the podium of the Giro d’Italia, smashes the Vuelta and in his year of Grace, 2020, he misses the Tour by a hair, conquers Liegi and doubles the Vuelta.
Finally, this year he won the Gold Olympic medal in the individual time trial – the same race that cost him so much in the 2020 Tour.
Primoz never gives up, he always gets back on his feet, he focuses, trains hard, and WINS.
A CERVELO AS THE WINNING WEAPON
In regards to the technical support, especially when it comes to running against time, the right bike makes the difference.
Primoz could count on Cervelo, the Canadian brand for highly performing bikes which started providing Team Jumbo-Visma with their racers in 2021.
Cronoman Wout van Aert, Tony Martin e Primoz Roglic used a Cervélo P5 in their races against time.
Primoz, in fact, rode a Cervelo P5 to build his Olympic success.
AN AERODYNAMIC MISSILE
The frameset and handlebar aerodynamic shape ensures the air resistance is as little as possible. This allows the rider to use all of his power in the most efficient way. Thanks to Cervelo’s years of experience and their numerous tests, P5 is an incredibly rapid bike that pushes riders to their limit. It is ideal for the Jumbo-Visma Team, but it is also appreciated by many triathletes. Cervelo aimed at achieving aerodynamic performances with their P5, applying their year-long experience in designing aero bikes and having professionals ride them on the field. The result is a bicycle that pushes its own limits in every possible way.
Cervelo P5 has become more and more rigid, but also lighter and lighter. The shape of the frameset, handlebar, as well as the positions of the groupset, and the design characteristics all combine to reduce resistance and improve the athlete’s efficiency. This bike is more aerodynamic than S5, also in a climbing time trial.
As Primoz’s victory shows, P5 is perfect for World Tour competitions and UCI events, and it has also become many long “stages-athletes” favorite.
P5 is the perfect weapon for your race against time.
