Primoš Roglic will not start Saturday's Il Lombardia, Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe announced Wednesday.

The Slovenian was scheduled to face compatriot and three-time defending champion Tadej Pogachar (UAE Team Emirates) and Remko Evenpol (Sudar-Quick Step) on the 252km route from Bergamo to Como.

However, he and his team decided to start their off-season and recovery early, leaving Pogachar without one of his key rivals in his quest for a fourth title in a row.

“The long season is over. Primosch and the performance team have decided to put an end to an exciting year and begin the off-season immediately,” the team announced.

“Join us in wishing him a good recovery and a great off-season.

It has been an up and down season for Roglic since he joined the club at the end of last season in a landmark transfer from Jambovisma.

After a horror crash in Ituria-Basque that injured Evenpoel and Vingegaard, Roglic bounced back with a win at the Criterium du Dauphiné.

But in the end, he held off Ben O'Connor (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale), who led until stage 19, to win his record fourth Vuelta a España title.

The four races after the Vuelta were a road world championship time trial and a road race, the Giro delle Miglia and the Coppa Bernocchi, the latter two of which he retired from due to a tough season.

In 2024, after battling back injuries and illness in addition to disappointment at the Tour de France, Roglic was forced to take a break before trying again in 2025 at age 35.