DUBAI — Tadej Pogačar narrowly missed out on a dream return to racing Sunday at the Slovenian National Championships with Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) taking the win by just 10 seconds.

It was a fierce battle between the two pre-race favorites as they both shared a similar game plan to attack as the final ascent to the finish started.

They caught the breakaway and emerged as the two strongest riders taking on the testing eight percent summit finish with Pogacar sitting on Roglic’s wheel with 2km to go.

In the end, Roglic managed to distance himself and finished just ahead of Pogacar, with the UAE Team Emirates man coming in second place after three months since his last competitive race.

Pogačar said, "It was an amazing feeling to be back racing again and I'm pleased with a podium result. I felt quite good, all the training done during the lockdown has meant I could keep a good level of form. Roglic was very strong today and he deserved the win.”

“There is still some work to do and I'm hungry to get back racing with the team now and to show what we can do."

Also in action for UAE Team Emirates was Pogačar‘s teammate, Jan Polanc who solidified himself as one of Slovenia’s top riders with a commendable top 10 finish.

Both rider’s attentions now turn to the revised UCI World Tour calendar which has been halted since March due to the global coronavirus pandemic. The season resumes with the Strade Bianche on Aug.1 in Italy. — SG