Omrzel follows in Pogačar’s footsteps: “I’m not surprised by the win, it had to come”

Jakob Omrzel says his first grand-tour stage victory did not come as a complete surprise. After winning the 12th stage of the Vuelta a España at Calar Alto, the 20-year-old Slovenian said his work had made the result feel inevitable sooner or later.

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I’m very proud to be the youngest Slovenian to win a stage of a grand tour, surpassing Tadej Pogačar. It’s just a statistic, it doesn’t mean anything more, but it’s a good statistic.

“I’m very proud to be the youngest Slovenian to win a stage of a grand tour, surpassing Tadej Pogačar. It’s just a statistic, it doesn’t mean anything more, but it’s a good statistic,” Omrzel said at the summit in Almería.

The Bahrain Victorious rider, from Novo Mesto, is competing in his first grand tour. He said he had expected a breakthrough at some point, though not necessarily during his debut. “I’m not surprised, because I know all the work I’ve done. I knew this day would come sooner or later, but I certainly didn’t expect it 100% in my first grand tour. I still can’t believe it, but I felt great. I still feel good; I’m not tired. I’m simply enjoying it,” he said.

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I’m not surprised, because I know all the work I’ve done. I knew this day would come sooner or later, but I certainly didn’t expect it 100% in my first grand tour. I still can’t believe it, but I felt great. I still feel good; I’m not tired. I’m simply enjoying it.

Omrzel completed Bahrain Victorious' plan after the team sent Pello Bilbao and Santiago Buitrago, along with other riders, into the day's breakaway. The newcomer ultimately beat the more experienced riders. He praised the team's understanding and execution, comparing their coordination to playing PlayStation.

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The truth is that the whole Bahrain Victorious team is fantastic. The riders understand each other perfectly. We work very well together, perfectly. We say it’s like playing PlayStation. We do what we want.