Watch: Moment of panic in team car during toilet break when Primož Roglič hit by mechanical at Giro d’Italia
The Jumbo-Visma sports directors had stopped when their rider was forced to change bikes
Video has emerged showing the moment of panic inside the Jumbo-Visma team car when Primož Roglič was hit by a mechanical at the Giro d’Italia.
Roglič suffered a disastrous stage 15 of the race, when he was hit by bike trouble while chasing his rivals on the road to Como.
The Slovenian needed a bike change with around 20km left to race, with his team car nowhere in sight as the sports directors had stopped for a toilet break.
Video footage from inside the car has been released and shows the moment of panic as they realise their leader needs assistance.
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Roglič was forced to jump on the bike of his team-mate Antwan Tolhoek and get back into the chase, but disaster struck once again as he descended the tight and technical roads in northern Italy, when he ran wide on a corner and crashed into a barrier.
He was able to re-mount, eventually finishing 40 seconds down on Giro d'Italia leader Richard Carapaz (Movistar).
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Speaking after the stage team sports director Addy Engels said they had stopped for a pee and that is why he was not there with the team car to give Roglič his spare bike.
“We supplied him with a few bottles and we needed quick break to take a pee,” said Engels. “The moment we got into the car, I don’t know what happened, but we heard on the radio that he needed a new bike. In terms of timing and bad luck, it was the worst that could happen.”
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Roglič said: “I actually didn’t have my bike so everything is a little different and I was a little too fast in the corner, but I was happy we did that, so not a big deal.
“Yeah, not the best but also not the worst, so at the end I’m happy with it.
“Unlucky? Yeah, it’s true, but like I said, it’s still some days to go.
“I’m OK, I’m happy that I finished the stage and now I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s rest day.”
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Alex Ballinger is editor of BikeBiz magazine, the leading publication for the UK cycle industry, and is the former digital news editor for CyclingWeekly.com. After gaining experience in local newsrooms, national newspapers and in digital journalism, Alex found his calling in cycling, first as a reporter, then as news editor responsible for Cycling Weekly's online news output, and now as the editor of BikeBiz. Since pro cycling first captured his heart during the 2010 Tour de France (specifically the Contador-Schleck battle) Alex covered three Tours de France, multiple editions of the Tour of Britain, and the World Championships, while both writing and video presenting for Cycling Weekly. He also specialises in fitness writing, often throwing himself into the deep end to help readers improve their own power numbers. Away from the desk, Alex can be found racing time trials, riding BMX and mountain bikes, or exploring off-road on his gravel bike. He’s also an avid gamer, and can usually be found buried in an eclectic selection of books.
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