MADRID, Spain (September 8, 2024) — Slovenian cyclist Primož Roglič has etched his name in the history books by winning his fourth Vuelta a España title, equaling the all-time record held by Spanish rider Roberto Heras. Competing for Team RedBull-BORA-hansgrohe, Roglič demonstrated remarkable resilience and tactical prowess, particularly after his early exit from the Tour de France.
After a crash on Stage 12 of the Tour de France forced him to withdraw, Roglič shifted his focus to the Vuelta a España—a race he had previously won in 2019, 2020, and 2021. Determined to prove himself, the 34-year-old Slovenian spent the first two weeks of the race chasing Australian rider Ben O’Connor, who led for 13 stages in the coveted red jersey.
The turning point came on the crucial 19th stage. Roglič, starting the day just five seconds behind O’Connor, made his decisive move in the final six kilometers of the 173.3 km stage, with strong support from two of his Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe teammates. His attack paid off, allowing him to claim the stage victory and build a commanding lead of 1:54 over O’Connor.
With an impressive summit finish on the penultimate stage, Roglič extended his overall advantage to 2:02, solidifying his position as the clear favorite heading into the final day. During the last stage, an individual time trial, Roglič secured a second-place finish, beaten only by Swiss time trial specialist Stefan Küng, who celebrated his first Grand Tour stage win.
Roglič’s strong performance in the time trial sealed his fourth Vuelta victory, finishing 2:36 ahead of O’Connor in the overall standings. This triumph marked his first Vuelta title as part of the RedBull-BORA-hansgrohe team, adding to his legacy as one of the greatest riders in the race’s history.
Reflecting on his historic victory, Roglič said, “It’s incredible. It’s been a lot of sacrifice for me and my family, so I feel happy that I could do it. It’s crazy that I have won four, so I want to enjoy it.”
This victory ties Roglič with the legendary Roberto Heras for the most wins in the Vuelta a España, further cementing his status as one of the sport’s elite competitors.
O’Connor: “I’ve Achieved Something Unique”
Ben O’Connor (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale): “I’m just a proud man, you know. I think I’ve gone about my business well and I can’t believe to come out like this, in 2nd. There was a point in the race where I thought that if I did my absolute best every single day, then it would be difficult [but possible to win La Vuelta]. It’s been a crazy Grand Tour, it’s been really difficult to be at my best every single day. It’s probably one of the most physically taxing Grand Tours I’ve done so it’s hard to expect perfection every single day. No no, I definitely didn’t lose La Vuelta a España, I’ve achieved something unique. I had an amazing opportunity, to be in the red jersey from stage 6 to stage 19. But I was under no illusion. I’ve led a WorldTour race for one day in my past and now I’ve led La Vuelta a España for two weeks. I think these last three weeks are a defining moment in my career. I was always confident in my TT so I wasn’t worried about losing the podium today. I’ve just got the podium that I always dreamed I could achieved but I was never sure I could do it.”
Skjelmose: “This Is More A Milestone Than A Breakthrough”
Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek): “Yes, job is done! I wasn’t feeling very good, to be honest, but I think none of the GC guys were feeling really good. It’s been a crazy hard Vuelta, emptying the tank almost every day, no easy riding almost from Portugal. I think everybody started to feel it. Confident is a big word, but I know we have good equipment, I know I can do good time trials, and I knew that, if everything was right, I could do it. And we did it today. This is more a milestone than a breakthrough. I think my breakthrough was more at the Tour de Suisse last year. It is my first Grand Tour GC, and to finish 5th in such a hard Vuelta, with the guys in front and the guys I have behind me is a really great result for me”.
Vine: “It’s Fantastic After The Year That I Had”
Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates): “Two years ago, I was on cloud nine, two stage wins and in the mountain jersey with a comfortable lead, ready to come to Madrid, and then disaster struck on stage 18. And now to finish that up is fantastic, especially after the year that I had. I feel like my season is just starting, so I’m looking forward to the rest of it. It’s pretty incredible [to be here after the crash I had in Itzulia]. The recovery that I’ve had is amazing. At the time, we didn’t really know if I would be able to ride again, let alone compete. So to be able to be here with the jersey, it was like a dream. To actually be able to pull it off is amazing.”
Groves: “La Vuelta Seems To Treat Me Quite Well”
Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck): “I think it’s quite a lot different, actually last year was a different experience collecting points. This year, obviously, Wout van Aert crashed out and left me with the jersey so it’s a bittersweet victory. But it’s really nice to be back here and it’s not for nothing. The team worked really hard and I know myself and the rest of the guys put in everything we could at each day for three weeks to arrive here with this jersey and also three victories. It’s a credit to the team. It’s not easy to get one win and to repeat that several times is always special. La Vuelta seems to treat me quite well and it’s a joy coming back each year. Thank you to my teammates, all the sponsors and everyone who makes it possible. We’ll talk about my calendar in November but I guess it’s quite likely [I’ll be back next year].”
Soler: “It’s A Reward For All My Work”
Marc Soler (UAE Team Emirates): “In the end, [the Super Combative award means] that I fought to get those stage wins and that I was in the breakaway a lot. It’s a reward for all that work. It has been a very hard Vuelta, but yes, in the end it was good for me that it was more demanding and with more gradient to be able to be in breakaways and fight for stages and get the stage victory in Lagos, which is very important. I’m very happy, and now I’m going to enjoy it. [Without Joao Almeida’s withdrawal] it would have changed a bit, but well, in the end we overcame it very well, we were able to win several stage victories, the team general classification, the mountains jersey… so we are very happy. Being the best team, just like in the UCI ranking where we are now also number 1, is very important. The truth is that we are very happy. Everything is important, in the end we work to get good results, and when at some point we can’t get that good result in the overall, we look for other things.”
