It’s almost impossible not to come across his name in the world of professional road cycling. His improbable (and late, by pro cycling standards) rise to fame over the last six years continues to mesmerize the world. Primož Roglič, the 31-year-old UCI WorldTeam Slovenian rider for Team Jumbo–Visma, was Anna Glowinski’s latest guest in another episode of the #Ride2Unite podcast. 

Anna set out to delve deeper into the “now” instead of recapping Roglič’s incredible backstory for the umpteenth time. She was interested in the current motivation, mindset and attitude of the present world No. 1 UCI-ranked road cyclist just days before the 2021 Tour de France was scheduled to start. She wasted no time and went straight for the big question – why was he so driven to be the best in cycling? “When I was a ski jumper, I was dreaming of being the best. I wasn’t the worst but it was not what I wanted to be. Cycling is really incredible and I can be the best one – it’s a dream come true.”

As Primož switched from ski jumping to road cycling quite late career-wise, Anna asked him if the change from one pro-level sport to another was naturally easy or if he needed to put his training wheels back on. Primož was pretty candid about it: “I had to learn everything, basically. Riding in the peloton, taking the bidons […], putting clothes on, putting clothes off, peeing – all while on the bike. Also to learn how to suffer. […] Cycling is a tough sport and I had to learn a lot in that aspect.”

Listen to the freshest #Ride2Unite podcast to find out how it feels to be the world’s best, what reaching the “top” even means for Roglič, whether it brings personal satisfaction and how fame can shape one’s life.