- Title: Tour de France favourite Roglic says fit and ready to go
- Date: 27th August 2020
- Summary: NICE, FRANCE (AUGUST 27, 2020) (REUTERS) BIG YELLOW LETTERS READING 'NICE' ALONGSIDE STATUES OF BIKERS ON THE BOARDWALK IN FRONT OF THE SEA MORE OF SIGN MAN SITTING ON EDGE OF BOARDWALK LOOKING OUT AT SEA PALM TREE PEOPLE ON BOARDWALK, SOME WEARING MASKS MORE OF BOARDWALK SIGN FOR THE START OF THE TOUR DE FRANCE VARIOUS OF CROWDED BEACH HOUSES ON A HILL AND BOAT IN THE SEA SIGN ART SAYING "#ILOVENICE' VARIOUS OF CITY STREETS SIGN FOR THE TOUR DE FRANCE
- Embargoed: 10th September 2020 23:56
- Keywords: Cycling Miguel Angel Lopez Primoz Roglic Tom Dumoulin Tour de France
- Location: NICE & LARUNS, FRANCE / ROME, ITALY
- City: NICE & LARUNS, FRANCE / ROME, ITALY
- Country: France
- Topics: Cycling,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA00ACT0ZEIN
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Slovenian favourite Primoz Roglic said on Thursday (August 27) he is ready for the Tour de France, removing any doubts about his participation in cycling's biggest event of the year following a heavy fall in his previous race.
"Yeah, the thing is, I'm here. I'm at the start. So, that's really good news and nice to be here. And in that case, I'm also ready," the 30-year-old Jumbo-Visma rider told a news conference along side team mate Tom Dumoulin two days before the start of the race.
The Vuelta champion was "in a lot of pain" after crashing at the Criterium du Dauphine on August 15 and said last week he had not yet fully recovered, triggering speculation about his participation in the Tour.
Before his crash, Roglic had been in ominous form and his team appeared the most formidable of the peloton, with former Giro d'Italia winner Dumoulin in support.
Roglic, who won the Tour de l'Ain in stunning fashion when racing resumed following a four-month hiatus due to the COVID-19 crisis, was leading the Criterium du Dauphine until he crashed in the penultimate stage.
His lack of recent training could play against him with a treacherous mountain stage as early as the second stage on Sunday (August 30).
Both team mates agreed that if the Tour is called early because of COVID-19 issues, it would not be a real Tour and that they were not adjusting their strategy for that possibility.
Astana's Miguel Angel Lopez, who is set to make his Tour de France debut after winning the young riders classification on the Giro d'Italia in 2018 and 2019 said he was happy to see the health protocols in place to protect riders and their teams.
The Colombian also predicted Colombia will continue to produce powerhouse cyclists for years to come.
(Production: Ardee Napolitano, Kurt Michael Hall) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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