Red Bull reinforces vision to conquer cycling, consisting of 3 pillars, both in front and behind the scenes
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Follow us on GoogleRed Bull officially stepped into Ralph Denk's cycling team BORA-Hansgrohe before this year's Tour de France. Less than three months later, the team has already secured a major tour with Primoz Roglic winning the Vuelta, but the team is also making solid progress behind the scenes. It is more than clear that Red Bull is "here to stay and conquer" for the time being.
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Of course, the rumors regarding Remco Evenepoel, Wout van Aert, and Tom Pidcock are still circulating, and the team acquired Primoz Roglic from Jumbo-Visma last year, but in essence, that is not what Red Bull is going for. The energy drink giant prefers to discover and develop their athletes, as it tries to do in areas such as Formula 1 (Max Verstappen), soccer (Red Bull Leipzig), and numerous other sports and projects.
"I have never seen anything become weaker when Red Bull jumps in," were the telling words of sports manager Rolf Aldag when the letter of intent was announced in January in Mallorca. Denk, who sold his shares for 51 percent to the company behind Red Bull, said at the time, "In general, it is the case that in a sport they can make the difference."
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Red Bull wants to conquer cycling with 3 pillars
Olivier Mintzlaff, CEO of "corporate projects" at Red Bull, also left no doubt. "WE are very ambitious and want to win the biggest races in the world. In many sports, Red Bull has already shown that they can achieve those goals with a clear vision: developing talents, working professionally, and innovation," it indicated the three pillars of the brand's success in sports.
The goal is "preferably to find its own Van Aert, Pidcock, Evenepoel or Roglic," which is also reflected in the team's transfer so far. Looking at the names that depart, the team is trading its German character for an international rider base. After Nils Politt last year, Maximilian Schachmann, Lennard Kämna, and Emanuel Buchmann are leaving, as are other experienced men like Bob Jungels, Marco Haller, and Sergio Higuita.
Among the incoming transfers, no flashy names, but unpolished diamonds like Tim and Mick van Dijke (age 24) from Visma | Lease a Bike, the talented and intelligent 22-year-old New Zealanders Laurence Pithie (Groupama-FDJ) and Finn Fisher-Black (UAE-Team Emirates) and 20-year-old Italian Guilio Pellizzari from Bardiani. The announcement of the arrival of the experienced rot Jan Tratnik (Visma | Lease a Bike) and the versatile Basque Oier Lazkano (24, Movistar) probably won't be long. And, perhaps most importantly, a U23 team for 2025. Top talent Jarno Widar, for example, is in the picture for a spot in that selection.
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An essential pillar in this purchase policy, besides talent, is also character, Aldag explained to us. He compared the successful HTC he was part of around 2010. "Not only were we a very successful team, but I am even more proud that everyone from that team ended up well. Many pros just do what they are asked, and it's a lot about wattages, numbers, and the like, but riders must also be aware of what they are doing. They train roughly twenty to thirty hours a week but have so much time and space to develop in other areas. They have to be conscious of that."
Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe picks know-how away from other big teams
In the background, there is also a carousel in terms of staff. Last winter, trainer Marc Lamberts came with Roglic from Jumbo-Visma, where Van Dijkes and Tratnik are also being recruited. With the arrival of the much-acclaimed trainer Lamberts, you can see a connection with one of the three Red Bull pillars (professionalization). At the same time, for the other two (talent development and innovation), there is know-how from rival teams, such as the UAE-Team Emirates and INEOS Grenadiers.
Sporting director Rolf Aldag is still in charge of the buying and selling policy, but John Wakefield (ex-UAE-Team Emirates) has been given the title of Director of Development. As such, he has become responsible for the U23 and U19 squad, or Rookie Program. So, next season, Red Bull will set up a promising team of 12 riders.
On the innovation front, Dan Bigham and Jonny Wale will be responsible for INEOS Grenadiers. Ex-world endurance record holder Bigham has been given the title of Head of Engineering, which Aldag was delighted with. "With Dan and Jonny, we have brought in two absolute experts, with whom, in combination with partners like Red Bull and Specialized, we have enormous potential. This is unique in cycling."
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Bigham, who recently openly criticized INEOS Grenadiers as a sleeping giant, fully agreed. "As a former rider, I am now fully committed to supporting the next generation of top riders. The opportunity I will have with the team is life-changing. No other team has so much knowledge, capacity, and expertise in its network, so I want to do my bit for that."
Not only does Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe opt for proven expertise above the surface, but also, in terms of small things, other teams are increasingly noticing that the German formation copies technical novelties in no time. Better good copied than bad invented, but the Red Bulldozer era in cycling seems to have just begun.
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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