Primož Roglič will undergo surgery today (Monday) to address a long-running shoulder issue, which will leave his arm in a sling for up to two months.
The Jumbo-Visma rider saw his hopes of winning the Tour de France go up in smoke this summer when he crashed on the cobbled stage in the first week and dislocated his shoulder, as well as sustaining back injuries.
Roglič also dislocated his shoulder in a final-day crash at the 2021 Paris-Nice and has revealed it is a recurrent problem for which he is now going to receive surgical treatment.
"It's no secret that I already have several dislocations. I've reached the point where I have to fix it," Roglič told Slovenian media after a charity event in Maribor on Sunday.
It is unclear what exact procedure Roglič will undergo but it will be major surgery.
"I don't want to think about what that means right now, but it's no small thing. They cut off a piece of your bone and move it to where the dislocation is happening."
Roglič has taken the decision to undergo surgery at the end of a bruising season in which he also crashed out of the Vuelta a España while in contention for a fourth straight red jersey.
He won Paris-Nice and the Critérium du Dauphiné but has arguably been surpassed in the Jumbo-Visma leadership hierarchy by Jonas Vingegaard. The Dane beat Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) to win the Tour de France, with significant assistance from an injured Roglič on the pivotal stage to the Col du Granon.
Roglič reportedly joked that his role at Jumbo-Visma is still "to win races" and hopes his surgery will enable him to bounce back stronger in 2023 after his 33rd birthday.
"The arm will be immobilized for six to eight weeks after surgery, and then I'll have passive range of motion. Fortunately, we're not quite in May or June," he said.
"I have reached the limit where I have to fix these things so that I can be even stronger and start preparing for new challenges in the new season. I have to respect what they tell me. We will certainly do everything to get back on the bike as quickly as possible."
