Primož Roglič’s Jumbo-Visma teammates sat together atop Monte Lussari on Saturday afternoon, locked somewhere between fear and hope as they watched events unfold on the big screen past the finish line. It was hard not to think of La Planche des Belles Filles and all that.
The 2023 Giro d’Italia, just like the 2020 Tour de France, would be decided by a hybrid mountain time trial on the penultimate day. On that occasion, Roglič was trying to defend the yellow jersey against a fellow Slovenian. Here, he was vying to snatch the maglia rosa at the last, cheered on by the thousands of compatriots who had made the short trip across the border.
