Chris Froome (Israel-Premier Tech) has backed Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) to “come back even stronger” after a freak crash ended the Slovenian’s hopes of a fourth-straight title at La Vuelta.
Roglic blew the bunch apart on Stage 16 with a devastating attack inside the final 3km, only to contrive to crash in the sprint tear-up as he jostled for victory with his fellow escapees.
Ad The 32-year-old remounted to cross the finish wounded and bloodied, even clawing back eight seconds on race leader Remco Evenepoel (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) after being awarded the same time as winner Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo), but the Slovenian abandoned ahead of Wednesday’s run from Aracena to Monasterio de Tentudia.
Vuelta a España'He can barely walk' — Roglic in 'quite some pain' after crash, says team-mate41 MINUTES AGO It was the latest episode of rotten luck for Roglic, who arrived at the Vuelta after another Tour de France to forget ended with a back injury.