Sawt Falasteen - Roglic pips Pogacar in Italy as Jumbo-Visma exit looms

"I can confirm that I'm leaving the team," Roglic told journalists before the one-day cycling race around Bologna.

"I'll say after the races (in Italy) where I'll go," added the 33-year-old Slovenian.

He clinched a third Giro dell'Emilia victory with a late burst of acceleration ahead of UAE's Pogacar with Britain's Simon Yates of Jayco a close third after the 204km run.

"It's an iconic race, I love this route with the San Luca climb," said Roglic of the warm-up for next Saturday's Tour of Lombardy, the final 'Monument' classic of the season.

"It was complicated in the finale, I'm happy to have found the resources to win in this way."

Former ski jumper Roglic, the Tokyo Olympics time-trial gold medallist, is leaving Jumbo-Visma where he is under contract until 2024 having joined in 2016 when the team was called Lotto-Visma.

"After a memorable ride together, Team Jumbo-Visma grant Primoz Roglic the opportunity to pursue his ambitions elsewhere in the future. First, all focus will be on the upcoming Italian races," the team said in a post on social media.

In the yellow and black jersey, Roglic won the Liege-Bastogne-Liege in 2020, three Vuelta a Espana titles in 2019, 2020 and 2021, and the Giro d'Italia this year.

He was also runner-up in the 2020 Tour de France having worn the leader's yellow jersey for eleven days.

Jumbo-Visma could merge with Soudal-Quick Step, with the manager of the Belgian team Patrick Lefevere confirming on Saturday discussions are underway.

Jumbo-Visma became the first team in history to win three major Tours - France, Italy, Spain - this year.

The two teams include star riders such as Dane Jonas Vingegaard, a two-time Tour de France winner, Belgians Remco Evenepoel and Wout Van Aert, Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe and American Sepp Kuss.

Kuss won this year's Vuelta ahead of Jumbo teammates Vingegaard and Roglic.

H.Darwish--SF-PST