Dutch Red Bull talent realises there is still a lot of work to be done to secure his dream role
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Follow us on GoogleMichiel Mouris added yet another eighth-place finish to his list of achievements on Thursday in the Eneco Tour time trial, proving once again that he has tremendous stamina. The 19-year-old Dutchman has nearly completed his first season with the Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe development team, and it has been quite a journey of discovery, Mouris told IDL Pro Cycling.
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Mouris has had a successful junior career
Mouris was already riding for Team GRENKE-Auto Eder, a junior team for Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, in 2025. The year before that, the Dutch rider competed for Wielerploeg Groot Amsterdam at the club level. In 2024, he was crowned junior champion at the European Time Trial Championships, and he repeated that feat a year later in France. He also competes in cyclocross.
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Mouris can hold his own with the seniors
His big breakthrough truly came in 2025, when Mouris not only became the Dutch and European time trial champion but also claimed the world title in Rwanda in the junior time trial. In addition, he demonstrated explosive speed in short stage races, winning two of them. Red Bull had seen enough and added him to its own development team for 2026.
Mouris particularly stood out in the time trial, but he also got to compete with Red Bull’s WorldTour team in several classics and races, such as the Sibiu Tour and the ZLM Tour. As a rising star, he held his own against often older competitors, as evidenced by a ninth-place finish at the World Time Trial Championships in Montreal. In the Eneco Tour, he finished fifth in the prologue and eighth on Thursday.
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Michiel Mouris became the junior world time trial champion in 2025
Interview with Michiel Mouris of Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe
How was your first year with Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe?
"It was good and fun. Here at the Eneco Tour, I'm wrapping things up nicely with a week in the Netherlands."
In the prologue on Day 1, you were right up there with the best from the start. Were you secretly hoping for more than fifth place?
"Not really. A prologue like that is always very close; you just do the best you can, and you don't have much control over the outcome. I was satisfied with fifth place, though."
What did you learn most during your first year at Red Bull?
"I think for me, it's still mainly about the time trials, but also the classics. The step up to the U23s—and I've also raced with the pros—is just a big one. The pace is a lot faster than it is with the juniors. I still have some work to do."
Are you patient enough for that?
"In a way, yes, although it's also nice to finish fifth in a prologue like that every once in a while. It gives you confirmation that things are heading in the right direction."
What are Red Bull's areas for improvement heading into the coming winter?
"For now, my main focus is on further building my foundation. I definitely have what it takes for those short bursts of effort, so I need to make sure I can still do that even after a long race."
It's actually ridiculous that I'm asking this of a 19-year-old, who just a few years ago was given all the time in the world to grow. Now we're asking teenagers where they see themselves in the future... Is it too soon to ask that question?
"In certain races, I can definitely compete for the podium and become a good rider. I'm not really sure where I stand right now, even myself."
Weren't there any plays in 2026 that laid the groundwork for the future?
"If I had to pick one, it would definitely be Paris-Roubaix in the U23 category—I was really strong there. I got a flat tire in the final stretch on the cobblestones, so those are the kinds of races where I’ll probably have a chance in 2027 as well."
Bram van der PloegEditor-in-chief
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.
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