Primož Roglič could ride Tour de France after Giro d’Italia 2019 podium

Primož Roglič may line-up in the Tour de France after a bittersweet podium finish in the Giro d’Italia.

The Jumbo-Visma rider was a marked man in the Italian Grand Tour, having won every race he had started this year and dominating the opening time trial in Bologna.

But after another imperious performance in the second TT, Roglič began to falter and was left fighting for third place by the final week.

After the mixed fortunes of the Giro, Roglič’s team are considering whether the Slovenian can race the Giro-Tour double.

>>> Julian Alaphilippe returns to racing at Critérium du Dauphiné 2019

Jumbo-Visma sports director Merijn Zeeman told Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad: “After the Critérium du Dauphiné we will explore some of the Tour’s mountain stages.

“By the time, the Giro will have sunk with Primož and I’ll let him go and explore.

“He had a good first half of the season but it makes no sense to let him ride the Tour if he is not in top form.

“We still have time to decide.”

Roglič is currently in the team’s long-list for the Tour squad, where general classification hopeful Steven Kruijswijk is expected to carry the Dutch outfit’s hopes.

>>> Trek-Segafredo boss confirms Vincenzo Nibali signing

Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida) and Mikel Landa (Movistar) are both expected to start the Tour, having finished second and fourth in the Giro respectively.

Roglič led the Giro for the opening five days, before ceding the jersey to a breakaway on six with the expectation he would claim it back in the second week.

But Roglič’s impeccable form began to waiver as the race hit the mountains, as he lost time to Nibali and race winner Richard Carapaz (Movistar).

He was eventually forced to fight for a podium place, only stealing his spot from Mikel Landa in the final day time trial in Verona.