Jordi Meeus set for battle with Milan and Pedersen at Lidl-Trek

Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe is increasingly becoming a pure climbers' team. With Jai Hindley, Giulio Pellizzari and Florian Lipowitz already in the squad, the arrival of Remco Evenepoel was a clear signal of that direction. Now Jordi Meeus, the team's main sprinter, may be on his way out — and reportedly heading in a surprising direction.

Meeus has been a fixture at the team since joining from SEG Racing Academy in 2021. In that time the Belgian powerhouse has racked up sixteen professional victories, including the Copenhagen Sprint and, of course, his stunning win on the Champs-Élysées at the 2023 Tour de France.

This year he comfortably won the Ename Samyn Classic, but results elsewhere have been harder to come by. He has collected plenty of top-ten finishes, and is also making himself increasingly useful in the classics — which makes him a valuable asset for Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe. Yet talk of a departure is growing.

Meeus has been linked with several teams. Soudal Quick-Step showed interest, but that has reportedly cooled as they are said to be prioritising Ben Turner (Netcompany-INEOS). Of course, they already have Alberto Dainese, Tim Merlier and Paul Magnier in the team.

Arnaud De Lie appears set to leave Lotto-Intermarché for Tudor, which would free up a spot there. However, budget is a problem at the Belgian setup. Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe has no such concerns, but the team is also looking ahead to its emerging sprint talent.

Nineteen-year-old Italian Alessio Magagnotti is the jewel in the crown of their rookies programme, and he has already been collecting impressive results this season. His 20-year-old teammate Davide Donati has also made his mark, with two wins in the Giro di Sardegna and victory in the U23 Paris-Roubaix.

A contract extension for Meeus at Red Bull is not completely off the table, but Lidl-Trek appears to be the most likely landing spot. According to Het Laatste Nieuws, the Belgian would earn 50 per cent more at the team — an offer too good to refuse.

Even so, a potential transfer would raise eyebrows. Lidl-Trek already has no shortage of sprinting firepower. Jonathan Milan won two stages at last year's Tour de France and took the green jersey, while Mads Pedersen is also in the squad. Add in young German Tim Torn Teutenberg, and Meeus would face fierce internal competition from day one.