Cyclists earn several stage wins at major European races
Ljubljana, 5 December - Slovenian cyclists had a very successful year when it comes to individual performances in their professional teams in major European stage races, starting with Jan Polanc winning in May the fourth stage of the Giro d'Italia, which finished atop Mount Etna.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Slovenian cyclist Primož Roglič
Photo: Stanko Gruden/STA
This was the second stage victory at the prestigious race for the 25-year-old, and Slovenia's fourth overall at Giro, with Luka Mezgec winning a stage in 2014 and Primož Roglič last year.
Polanc's feat was followed by Roglič becoming in July the first Slovenian to win a Tour de France stage, excelling in the 183-km mountain challenge from La Mure to Serre Chevalier, the highest point of the 2017 Tour at an altitude of over 2,600 metres.
In June, Simon Špilak won the Tour de Suisse in a dominant fashion to claim his second victory of this UCI World Tour race after 2015, while in August, Matej Mohorič won the seventh stage of the prestigious Tour of Spain, securing his biggest success since his Junior World and Under-23 World Champion titles.