Photo: EPA
Cyclist Primož Rogljič won the first stage of the Tour of the Basque Country today. This was the first world series cycling race of the season which featured two of the best cyclists in the world, Slovenians Primož Rogljič and Tadej Pogačar. Rogljič was fastest in today’s individual time trial through Bilbao. After the race he said he did not face any unexpected problems and was happy with his performance. Last year’s winner of the Tour de France, Tadej Pogačar, finished 7th, 28 second behind Rogljič. The Itzulia Basque Country tour will feature five more stages and end on Saturday.
What Are We Learning This Week?
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Photo by Tim de Waele/Getty Images
Five days into the 2021 Cycling season, can I just say. OMG we are five days into the cycling season! And only one brush with catastrophe!
The “preseason” (aka FSA DS signup season) is behind us and shit has gotten kinda sorta real, but my Belgiophilic brain can’t get past the importance of this weekend’s races as the event that really signals the imminence of spring. And I’m not apologizing. Part of this has to do with races being in the Arab world, which looks lovely and has roads, and which is acceptable given the investments coming from there, if not athletes. If the UAE and Bahrain are for cycling, then I. er, well let’s not get into politics. [Glass houses, after all.] But whatever that all is about, the fact is that races in the Arabian time zones do not work for west coast USA fans watching live action; CET is rough enough. So fine, peloton, go ride in the sun and pet some came