Jakob Omrzel, the youngest Slovenian to win in a grand tour, beating Pogacar
A day you will never forget. The young Slovenian Jakob Omrzel (20 years old) was the strongest of the breakaway to end up achieving an incontestable solo victory in the 81st edition of La Vuelta. Calar Alto today saw the birth of a new cycling star, who was already 4th in the Aramon Valdelinares and that after today’s feat he has already placed 6th overall.
“It doesn’t surprise me, because I know all the work I’ve done. I knew this day would come sooner or later, but I certainly didn’t 100% expect it on my first Grand Tour. I still don’t believe it, but I felt great. I still feel good; I’m not tired. I’m just enjoying it. The truth is that the whole team at Bahrain Victorious is fantastic. We riders understand each other perfectly. We work very well together, perfectly. We say it’s like playing PlayStation. We do what we want. We go into the breakaways, and with Pello (Bilbao), Santi (Buitrago) and the others, it’s incredible. I’m very proud. (Becoming the youngest Slovenian to win a stage of a Grand Tour, beating Tadej Pogacar) is just a statistic. Novo Mesto corridorone of the new cathedrals of mountain biking.
In fact, he became the second youngest stage winner in the history of the Vuelta a España at 20 years and 166 days, leaving behind Celestino Prieto (1981) and surpassing the age mark he had Tadej Pogačarl win in 2019.
Omrzel debuted in Adria Mobil Juniors in 2023, in 2025 he made the jump to the continental team of the Bahrain Victorriuswith whom he debuted on the World Tour this year and with whom he has a contract until 2029.
The entire team at Bahrain Victorious is fantastic. We runners understand each other perfectly. We work very well together, perfectly. We say it’s like playing PlayStation. We do what we want. We entered the breakaways, and with Pello (Bilbao), Santi (Buitrago) and the others, it is incredible. I am very proud
Winner of the Giro d’Italia Next Gen last year, this year it already shined in the Cycling Tour to Catalonia (he was the 5th best young man), in the Alps Tour (third young man and 6th overall), 8th in the Hungary Tour3rd in the Return to Slovenia and after arriving at The Return passed through the San Sebastian Classic (16th) and the Getxo Circuit (45º).
Omrzel considers himself a disciplined cyclist. He has the same nickname as his brother, Mrzu; Also a cyclist, he assures that if he were not a cyclist he would probably be an engineer and that his life motto is none other than “keep calm, everything turns out well in the end.”
