Slovenian cycling star left fans disappointed

Denmark's Kasper Asgreen secured a dramatic breakaway victory as the Giro d'Italia visited Slovenia in stage 14 though the day ended in disappointment for home favourite Primož Roglič, who attracted massive support from fans along the route.

Asgreen (EF Education EasyPost) crossed the finish line in Nova Gorica's border square with a 16-second advantage over the main group containing race leader Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates) of Mexico. Australian Kadel Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck) won the subsequent sprint for second place, with Dutchman Olav Kooij (Visma) completing the podium, CE Report quotes The Slovenia Times.

The 195-kilometre stage from Treviso proved decisive for the general classification after a major crash approximately 20 kilometres from the finish completely halted the peloton and split it into several groups. Roglič found himself trapped in the second chase group alongside Spain's Juan Ayuso.

The Slovenian Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe team captain, who won the race two years ago, eventually finished 26th, losing 1 minute and 4 seconds on the stage and crucially conceding another 48 seconds to race leader Del Toro. Roglič remains fifth overall, but is now 2 minutes and 23 seconds behind the pink jersey holder.

"I cannot be satisfied. I'd be satisfied if I were as much in front as I am behind. But in the end I have to take it as it is and try to make the best of it," Roglič, 35, said after the race.

"We knew it was going to be extremely slippery, so we tried to be as much in front as possible on the uphills and downhills. We didn't have everything in our hands at that moment," Roglič said about the crash in the narrow cobbled streets of Gorizia.