Issues looming for Red Bull and its seven leaders — with Roglic looking the least secure in his spot

As the team announced earlier, it will wait until the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España routes are announced before deciding which leader will go where. A starting place for Evenepoel in the Tour remains uncertain, though the Belgian does not seem interested in riding the Vuelta or the Giro.

With Lipowitz and Roglic, the team already has two leaders in its ranks. “There are also a few guys you haven't mentioned, such as Pellizzari or Hindley,” Dempster adds two names. “On top of that, you also have Martinez. People quickly forget that he finished second in the Giro last year,” the Australian mentions a fifth name.

“We have a great group of guys, and Vlasov is also there, along with Remco and Lipo,” Dempster continues. “If we want to win Grand Tours or secure a podium place, we have a selection that can do that. I think if we do that, it will be with joint leadership strategies,” the team leader hints at multiple leaders in the same Grand Tour.

Dempster doesn't want to add much more to that. “For now, we have to keep things stable and wait and see, but my approach, and I've had that conversation with them, is that there are enough guys to fight against who aren't wearing the same jersey as us. If you have Evenepoel and Lipowitz up there in their top shape, I know that it would be a co-leadership strategy.”

The Australian does not mention Roglic by name. The Slovenian veteran, as we know him, is himself mysterious about his future, but will he also go on a Grand Tour as co-leader in 2026? "Maybe. That's too difficult to say," Dempster gives his opinion on the matter.

“I think Primoz, like the names I mentioned, is one of our top riders,” the brand-new chief of sports continues. “It's about how they are intertwined at the moment, and right now I'm trying to understand what the Giro and the Vuelta look like, where they stand as riders, and how we can maximize their winning potential.”

Dempster sees 2025 as “a challenging season” for Roglic. “But I still think there was a lot to celebrate. That performance in Catalonia was exceptional, and sometimes life just gets in the way of your perfectly laid plans,” says the Australian, referring to the portion of bad luck the Slovenian had to deal with this year.

So what does 2026 hold in store? “We're going to focus on making a plan for him that will allow him to win the most important races and that includes the most important WorldTour events, one or two Grand Tours, and those decisions will be made once we have all the information,” Dempster explains.

Whoever Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe sends to the Tour, Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard will likely have to be beaten there. “I am really optimistic about the improvements we can make,” Dempster looks ahead. “We have discovered things that indicate we can reach a higher level.”

“How that compares to your Pogacars and your Vingegaards, you never know,” the team boss continues. “Everyone is pretty sure that Pogacar will win easily, but we were all pretty sure that Vingegaard would beat him until he came back with a new approach.”