--- title: Primož Roglič, European time trial champion date: 2026-10-08T04:44:27Z modified: 2026-10-08T04:48:17Z permalink: "https://www.had.si/blog/en/2026/10/08/primoz-roglic-european-time-trial-champion/" type: post status: publish excerpt: Primož Roglič became European time trial champion in Šenčur at the age of 36, proving once again why Slovenia should never write him off. wpid: 390530 categories: - Reflections tags: - Reflections - 2026 European Cycling Championships - cycling - European time trial championships - Primož Roglič - Primož Roglič European champion - šenčur - Slovenian cycling - Tadej Pogačar - english - pll_6ac72025e8f16 language: - english post_translations: - pll_6ac72025e8f16 featured_image: "https://www.had.si/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Sprejem-Primoza-Rogliza-v-Zagorju-ob-Savi-4.jpg" featured_image_alt: Sprejem Primoza Rogliza v Zagorju ob Savi 4 timestamp: 2026-10-08T04:48:17Z --- Primož Roglič is the man who put Slovenia on the global cycling map. Before Slovenians started following cycling en masse, before we all became experts in watts, aerodynamics, gear ratios and tactics at three-week races, there was Primož Roglič. A man from Kisovec! A former ski jumper who became one of the world’s best cyclists. A four-time Vuelta winner, Giro winner, Olympic time trial champion in Tokyo, the man who nearly won the Tour de France in 2020 and who showed us that a Slovenian, too, can reach the very summit of world cycling. Above all, he is the man who made Slovenians look at this sport very differently. - [I rant about Dars, while Marko Plahuta gathered the data and showed what is really going on](https://www.had.si/blog/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/post/i-rant-about-dars-while-marko-plahuta-gathered-the-data-and-showed-what-is-really-going-on.md) - [How much do traffic jams cost Slovenia? More than €2 million a day](https://www.had.si/blog/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/post/how-much-do-traffic-jams-cost-slovenia.md) - [Tesla FSD Supervised Test on Slovenian Highways and in Traffic Jams](https://www.had.si/blog/wp-content/uploads/wp-mfa-exports/post/tesla-fsd-supervised-test-on-slovenian-highways-and-in-traffic-jams.md) Then came Tadej Pogačar. A phenomenon who pushed the boundaries of what is possible and became the best cyclist in the world. And suddenly, for part of the Slovenian public, Primož Roglič was no longer good enough. Because he no longer won every race, because he was unlucky with crashes, because injuries plagued him, and because there came years when his body could no longer do everything it had managed at 30. The talk began: he was too old, he should retire, he no longer belonged among the best and would be better off hanging up his bike. As if all his achievements had lost their value overnight. And this is where we come to that characteristic Slovenian small-mindedness I have never understood. As long as you are the best, you are one of us. As long as you win, you are a hero we carry on our shoulders. But when poorer results come along, you are suddenly too old, useless and written off. That is when all those people behind their screens pipe up, convinced they could ride a time trial far better, choose the tactics at the Tour and run a professional cycling team. Naturally, from the comfort of their sofa, where the only serious physical exertion is the walk to the fridge for another beer. But yesterday, at the European Championships in Šenčur, Primož Roglič showed why you never write off athletes like him. At the age of 36, he became European champion in a 22.1-kilometre time trial. On home roads, in front of home fans, he beat the competition and won another gold medal. No grand words, no need to prove anything on social media. He simply got on his bike and did what he does best. He won. Without radio communication. He was once again that Primož who turned up at a race on a steel bike, where Bogdan Fink spotted him and made sure his climb to the throne could begin. Of course, some people will now look for reasons why this victory does not matter all that much. Because Evenepoel was not there, because Ganna was not there, because not every top time trial specialist was there. There is always an excuse when someone needs to diminish the achievement of a person they have already written off. But the fact remains: Primož Roglič is European champion. And at 36, he is still capable of beating top-class cyclists, while some have been advising him to retire for years. I am not claiming that Primož will ever win the Tour de France or reign over three-week races again. Age takes its toll, the competition is extraordinary and cycling has become a brutally demanding sport. But that does not mean he no longer has the right to compete, that he has to stop or that his worth depends solely on the next victory. He will decide when to end his career. Not Facebook commentators, nor all those who have sent him into sporting retirement several times already. Tadej Pogačar has taken over as the leading figure in Slovenian cycling and is setting new milestones with his achievements. But that does not make Primož Roglič any less important. Quite the opposite. Without his story, his victories, his perseverance and all those moments when Slovenians first truly began cheering en masse for one of their own riders in the biggest races, the history of Slovenian cycling would look very different. What I like most about Primož is precisely that he has never needed grand words. He did not ramble on, but said a few words and went his own way. He knew how to get back up after crashes, carry on after defeats and find motivation again after every disappointment. His career was not just a story of victories, but also a reminder that life does not always go to plan. And that one defeat, one bad season or a few extra years do not define you. Primož Roglič was, is and always will be one of Slovenia’s most important athletes. No one can take that away from him. Not even Tadej Pogačar with his extraordinary achievements, nor age, nor all those who wrote him off long ago. If yesterday’s victory shut a few people up, so much the better. Though I fear only until the next race that Primož does not win. Bravo, Primož. Thank you for everything you have done for Slovenian cycling. Above all, thank you for proving that you should never write someone off just because others have stopped seeing them as a winner. Keep going, Primož. You are still very good at it. To huge numbers of people, you are a symbol of what we Slovenians are: someone who does not give up or throw in the towel!