Jakob Omrzel heads to the Vuelta, seven Slovenians at the start

The Bahrain Victorious cycling team has announced its eight-rider roster for the upcoming Vuelta a España, featuring a strong Slovenian contingent led by debutant Jakob Omrzel. The 20-year-old Omrzel, a former national champion, is set to make his first appearance in a three-week Grand Tour, approaching the race with a focus on gaining experience rather than specific results.

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Jakob Omrzel is our youngest rider in the team and we don't want to put too much pressure on him. This is his first Grand Tour and the key is that he learns as much as possible.

Alongside Omrzel, the team includes fellow Slovenians Matevž Govekar and Roman Jermakov. Govekar, a sprinter, will aim for opportunities in smaller group sprints, while Jermakov, the current national champion, will be looking to build on his previous Grand Tour experience and potentially contend for stage victories.

The team's primary objective is a strong overall performance from Colombian rider Santiago Buitrago. However, Omrzel is expected to receive significant opportunities to prove himself throughout the race. The Vuelta, which begins with a time trial in Monaco, also marks the final Spanish Grand Tour for experienced Basque rider Pello Bilbao before his retirement.

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Matevž Govekar will be our main sprinter, but the race will be tough for fast guys. Even the flat stages are not completely flat and have a difficult finish. We expect a lot from him and hope he has developed in a positive direction in recent months.

Borut Božič, a former Vuelta stage winner himself, will serve as one of the sports directors for Bahrain Victorious. He, along with Italian sports director Franco Pellizzotti, expressed confidence in the Slovenian riders. Pellizzotti noted that while Omrzel is young and shouldn't face excessive pressure, the team expects him to learn and grow. He highlighted Govekar's potential in sprints despite the challenging finishes, and expressed hope for Jermakov to take a step forward and vie for stage wins.

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For Roman Jermakov, this will be his second Grand Tour. I hope he takes a step forward compared to last year, so he could fight for some stage wins.