Primoz Roglic Reveals His Dark Thoughts About Leaving Cycling After Tour de France Exit: ‘I Don’t Need to Endure This Pain Anymore’

Primoz Roglic Reflects on Dark Thoughts After Tour de France Withdrawal: ‘I Don’t Need to Suffer in Cycling Anymore’

Primoz Roglic has come painfully close to winning the Tour de France, but in recent years, his attempts have been cut short by crashes, including a string of incidents in 2024. After his latest withdrawal from the race, Roglic admits he considered leaving the sport altogether.

“After what happened to me again, I started thinking, ‘Do I really need this? I don’t need to be part of cycling and suffer like this,'” Roglic shared in an interview with Slovenian outlet *Nedelo*. He revealed that it took days to discover the full extent of his injuries, which included a fractured vertebra. At the time, his main focus was on recovery and regaining a sense of normalcy.

This wasn’t Roglic’s first Tour setback. In 2021, injuries forced him to abandon the race, and in 2022, despite helping Jonas Vingegaard, he dropped out after fracturing vertebrae in another fall. In 2024, Roglic crashed again on stages 11 and 12, only learning later that he had once again fractured vertebrae in his lower back. Yet, his rapid recovery and return to top form were remarkable.

Roglic made a strong comeback, going on to win his fourth Vuelta a España, matching the record set by Roberto Heras. However, he admits the journey back was mentally challenging. “Looking ahead, I realized there were still new challenges for me. Of course, the pain is real, and it’s tough.”

Despite the setbacks, Roglic found a silver lining, saying, “All these unpleasant experiences have also brought positives, like the overwhelming support from my family and loved ones.” Their encouragement helped him push through the pain and continue competing.

“Even though it’s hard to ride with pain, their support makes the decision to keep going much easier,” he concluded, explaining why returning to the Vuelta after his Tour crash was ultimately an easy choice.