Opinion: Why Primoz Roglic may have missed his chance to take control of La Vuelta from Remco Evenepoel

Reports that Remco Evenepoel cracked over the weekend were grossly exaggerated. The total time lost to Primoz Roglic over the two stages may add up to over than a minute, but that was well within the margin of the comfortable, considering his lead going into the two most difficult stages of the 21 was nudging three. Roglic needed more.

At this point, with six stages remaining, it’s hard to see where the Slovenian will find what he needs to claim his fourth Vuelta in a row. Ad Let’s consider what lies in store next week: Vuelta a España'Still feel stiff muscles from crash' — Evenepoel savouring rest day ahead of final week2 HOURS AGO There will be no time taken on Tuesday. The stage that starts in Sanlucar de Barrameda and finishes just outside Seville, is as close to pan-flat as we’ve had since the race started in the Netherlands.

Wednesday offers up an afternoon of cruelly uncategorised lumps and bumps across the south-western Badajoz province, culminating in a category 2 climb up to Monasterio de Tentudia, near Calera de León. Though another interesting one that is new to the Vuelta, from what we know of it it’s hard to imagine Roglic successfully isolating Evenepoel there, let alone taking a meaningful amount of time. It might average 5% from bottom to top, but that mean actually makes it sound harder, not easier than it is.

Never more than 12%, with more than a kilometre of downhill, it’s hard to think what Roglic could do to push a rider of Remco’s engine into the amber, let alone red. A sprint finish at the end could enable him to prise open a gap, but we’re talking a second or two, at best. Nothing like enough.