Primož Roglič confirms he will leave Jumbo-Visma

Four-time Grand Tour winner revealed the news ahead of the Giro dell'Emilia, where he will come up against old foe, Tadej Pogačar

09:58, Saturday 30th September 2023

Daniel Benson

Editor in Chief

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Primož Roglič revealed the news of his departure ahead of the start of the Giro dell'Emilia

Primož Roglič has confirmed that he will leave Jumbo-Visma at the end of the season.

The four-time Grand Tour winner announced the news at the start of the Giro dell'Emilia on Saturday.

Speaking to Cycling Pro Net, the Slovenian said, “I can definitely confirm that I will be leaving the team, but we want to tell the details after the races that I will do.”

Roglič has been the subject of speculation for months following interest from several teams and a fractious Vuelta a España in which he finished on the podium but was required to stand down as his teammate Sepp Kuss claimed the overall win.

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Slovenian will enjoy a lucrative contract elsewhere

Roglič does have a contract with Jumbo-Visma for 2024 and team boss Richard Plugge previously told GCN that the Slovenian was the team’s ‘king’ and would not be allowed to change teams. That stance weakened in recent weeks with the team allowing Roglič’s agent to scout around and discuss negotiations with rival teams.

The list of interested parties appeared to be extensive with Ineos Grenadiers, Lidl-Trek, Bora-Hansgrohe, Bahrain Victorious, Israel-Premier Tech and Movistar in reported discussions with the rider.

On Friday, one WorldTour team boss informed GCN that Roglič had been offered a salary of over €6 million per season for three years and that the rider was no longer on the market having agreed terms. GCN understands that Movistar and Lidl Trek are out of the running with Bora and Ineos Grenadiers now the two most likely destinations for the rider.

Primož Roglič transfer to bring the curtain down on eight years with Jumbo-Visma

Roglič joined Jumbo-Visma, formerly Team LottoNL-Jumbo, at the start of 2016 and quickly established himself as the team’s talisman, winning three straight Vuelta titles between 2019 and 2021. The 33-year-old won the Giro d’Italia in May of this year but with Jonas Vingegaard winning back-to-back Tour de France titles for the last two years, Roglič’s chances of leadership and a chance to complete his Grand Tour set looked unlikely at Jumbo-Visma.

According to his camp, the notion of complete leadership for the Tour de France in 2024 was a major factor in his decision to try and extract himself from his current deal.

The news, however, is a complete 180 from where the situation was just a few weeks ago when Jumbo-Visma attempted to contain and nullify any questions over leadership within their camp at the Vuelta. While Roglič said he was flattered by the links to other teams.

During the Vuelta, team boss Richard Plugge denied that any team had approached Jumbo for discussions over Roglič’s future, and that, regardless of any interest, the team had no desire to let their 'king’ leave.

"There’s been no approach. Roglič is our king, as I’ve texted you in the past, and that’s still the case,” Plugge told GCN at the Vuelta a España.

"He has won every GC race he’s started this year apart from this one and he has won 15 races this year. Why would I consider letting him go?

It appears that Roglič’s departure is unrelated to the merger discussions between his current team and Soudal Quick-Step, while Jumbo-Visma has declined to comment on the situation.

Read more:

'Roglič will forever be in my heart,' says Plugge

Could the Giro dell'Emilia be Primož Roglič's final victory in Jumbo-Visma colours?

Just hours after confirming his departure from the team, Roglič was able to provide Jumbo-Visma with yet more success on the road.

The Slovenian out-sprinted his compatriot Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) to win the Giro dell'Emilia for the third time in five appearances, with Plugge paying homage to Roglič after the finish.

"Roglič will forever be in my heart as our king," he told GCN. "We are so grateful for him and I will always admire him on a personal level.

"However, there comes a moment it is best to part ways. He recently asked us to allow him to transfer. We understood his request and have too much respect for each other to stand in the way of each other so we gave him the green light as we did with [Dylan] Groenewegen."

The Giro dell'Emilia was shown live on GCN+, simply click here to watch our on-demand coverage.