Redemption for Roglič as he closes in on Giro d'Italia title despite mechanical problem

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Slovenia’s Primoz Roglic wears the pink jersey of the overall leader as he celebrates on the podium at the end of the 20th stage of the Giro d’Italia cycling race, an individual mountain time trial from Tarvisio to Monte Lussari, Italy, Saturday, May 27, 2023. Roglic all but secured the Giro d’Italia title on Saturday by overtaking leader Geraint Thomas on the penultimate stage despite having a mechanical problem on the mountain time trial. (Fabio Ferrari/LaPresse via AP)

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Slovenia’s Primoz Roglic pedals during the 20th stage of the Giro d’Italia cycling race, an individual mountain time trial from Tarvisio to Monte Lussari, Italy, Saturday, May 27, 2023. Roglic all but secured the Giro d’Italia title on Saturday by overtaking leader Geraint Thomas on the penultimate stage despite having a mechanical problem on the mountain time trial. (Marco Alpozzi/LaPresse via AP)

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Britain’s Geraint Thomas pedals during the 20th stage of the Giro d’Italia cycling race, an individual mountain time trial from Tarvisio to Monte Lussari, Italy, Saturday, May 27, 2023. Slovenia’s Primoz Roglic all but secured the Giro d’Italia title on Saturday by overtaking leader Thomas on the penultimate stage despite having a mechanical problem on the mountain time trial. (Marco Alpozzi/LaPresse via AP)

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Slovenia’s Primoz Roglic is congratulated by his wife Lora, right, at the end of the 20th stage of the Giro d’Italia cycling race, an individual mountain time trial from Tarvisio to Monte Lussari, Italy, Saturday, May 27, 2023. Roglic all but secured the Giro d’Italia title on Saturday by overtaking leader Geraint Thomas on the penultimate stage despite having a mechanical problem on the mountain time trial. (Marco Alpozzi/LaPresse via AP)

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Fans cheer on Slovenia’s Primoz Roglic as he pedals during the 20th stage of the Giro d’Italia cycling race, an individual mountain time trial from Tarvisio to Monte Lussari, Italy, Saturday, May 27, 2023. (Fabio Ferrari/LaPresse via AP)

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Britain’s Geraint Thomas, right, and Slovenia’s Primoz Roglic are seen at the start of the 20th stage of the Giro d’Italia cycling race, an individual mountain time trial from Tarvisio to Monte Lussari, Italy, Saturday, May 27, 2023. (Gian Mattia D’Alberto/LaPresse via AP)

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Britain’s Geraint Thomas starts the 20th stage of the Giro d’Italia cycling race, an individual mountain time trial from Tarvisio to Monte Lussari, Italy, Saturday, May 27, 2023. (Gian Mattia D’Alberto/LaPresse via AP)

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A view of Monte Lussari, during the twentieth stage of the Giro d’Italia cycling race, a mountain time trial from Tarvisio to Monte Lussari, Italy, Saturday, May 27, 2023. (Marco Alpozzi/LaPresse via AP)

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Britain’s Geraint Thomas completes the 20th stage of the Giro d’Italia cycling race, an individual mountain time trial from Tarvisio to Monte Lussari, Italy, Saturday, May 27, 2023. Slovenia’s Primoz Roglic all but secured the Giro d’Italia title on Saturday by overtaking leader Thomas on the penultimate stage despite having a mechanical problem on the mountain time trial. (Marco Alpozzi/LaPresse via AP)

MONTE LUSSARI, Italy (AP) — Primož Roglič all but secured the Giro d’Italia title on Saturday by overtaking leader Geraint Thomas on the penultimate stage despite having a mechanical problem on the mountain time trial.

Roglič started the stage 26 seconds behind Thomas — who was trying to become the oldest Giro champion in history — but finished the route 40 seconds quicker than the British cyclist after the demanding climb of the Monte Lussari.

That saw Roglič move into the leader’s pink jersey, 14 seconds ahead of Thomas going into the race’s mainly ceremonial final stage.

Roglič was cheered on all the way by thousands of fans from just across the border to his native Slovenia. They packed the slopes of the brutal ascent up Monte Lussari, which had an elevation of more than 1,000 meters (3,000 feet) and gradients of up to 22%.

The 33-year-old Roglič celebrated at the end with his wife and son, who was wearing a replica of the pink jersey.

“Just something amazing, eh? It’s not at the end about the win itself, but about the people, and the energy here, so incredible, really moments to live and to remember,” said Roglič, who had tears in his eyes during the post-stage television interview, which he did with his son in his arms.

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It will be a fourth Grand Tour victory for Roglič, who won the Spanish Vuelta three years in a row from 2019-2021

Roglič also almost won the Tour de France in 2020, when he was leading going into another mountain time trial on the penultimate stage. But that time it was Roglič who lost time and the race to compatriot Tadej Pogačar in one of the most memorable upsets in a Grand Tour in recent years.

It appeared as if the Jumbo-Visma cyclist’s hopes were evaporating again when he rode over a pothole about halfway through the brutal climb up Monte Lussari and his chain came off, meaning he had to quickly change bicycles.

His teammates and staff had their hands over their heads in disbelief.

Despite that setback, Roglič — who had been 16 seconds ahead of Thomas at the previous intermediate time check — went on to increase his advantage.

“I dropped the chain, I mean it’s part of it,” he said. “But I got started again and I just went … I had the legs, the people gave me extra (energy).”

The 33-year-old Roglič won the stage ahead of Thomas. Almeida was third, 42 seconds slower.

For Thomas, his bad luck at the Giro continued. In 2017, he was involved in a crash caused by a police motorbike, and three years later he fractured his hip after a drinks bottle became lodged under his wheel – being forced to abandon both times.

Thomas turned 37 on Thursday. The Ineos Grenadiers cyclist had seemed poised to become the oldest Giro winner in history — beating the record of Fiorenzo Magni, who was 34 when he won in 1955.

“I could feel my legs going about a kilometer and a half from the top. I just didn’t feel I had that real grunt,” Thomas said. “I guess it’s nice to lose by that much rather than a second or two, because that would be worse I think.

“At least he smashed me and to be honest Primoz deserves that. He had a mechanical as well, still put 40 seconds into me so chapeau to him. If you’d told me this back in (February), March, I would have bit your hand off but now I’m devastated.”

Thomas and Roglič exchanged fist bumps as they waited their turn to ride down the ramp at the start of the 18.6-kilometer (11.6-mile) time trial.

The Giro will finish in Rome on Sunday, with 10 laps of an 11.5-kilometer (7-mile) circuit through the streets of the capital, taking in many of its historic sites.

“One more day to go, one more focus, because I think the lap is quite hard, technical. So it’s not over til it’s finished,” Roglič said. “But looks good, voila.”

The route will pass by places such as the Altare della Patria, the Capitoline Hill, the Circus Maximus and finish at the Imperial Forums, in the shadow of the Colosseum.

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Redemption for Roglič as he closes in on Giro d’Italia title despite mechanical problem

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