Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe appear to have turned a corner with their Classics core: “We weren’t a team”

Ahead of the 2025 season, Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe had ambitious plans for the spring classics. They reinforced their roster with riders such as Laurence Pithie, Oier Lazkano, Maxim Van Gils, and the Van Dijke brothers. But the results never came: across the entire Classics spring, the team failed to reach the podium even once.

With those disappointing outcomes, changes were needed at the German outfit. Dempster says he sat down with the Classics group as early as October to identify where the improvements had to come from. “All the riders in our Classics group showed great self-reflection, which meant we could improve in a targeted way. Not only the riders, but the staff were also willing to bring a positive influence.”

According to Dempster, the biggest change has been mentality. “That’s the most important thing. In December, we already had the first conversations about how we want to be seen as a group. It’s really nice to already see that collective approach in races — it gives us a lot of confidence for the rest of the spring,” the Australian said.

The team also strengthened with an experienced Classics rider in Gianni Vermeersch. Omloop runner-up Van Dijke has already said how much he benefited from Vermeersch’s experience — and the Belgian was also prominent near the front in Le Samyn.

Dempster is enthusiastic about the new signings. “If Gianni needs to be somewhere, he’s always there. And Jarrad Drizners rode at the front all day in the Omloop as well. Those two might not have had a result themselves, but they played a very important role.”

For Dempster, the key gain is the team spirit. “You’re stronger as a collective than as an individual. Last year, Laurence Pithie said we were just a group of riders in the same kit, but that we weren’t a team — that really stuck with me.”

A year can make a big difference. In every Classic so far, Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe have been visible at the front with multiple riders. “Finishing with three riders in the top 15 in the Omloop shows we’re on the right track, but to beat Van der Poel or Pogačar we’ll have to be creative,” Dempster said realistically.

Not everything went perfectly over Opening Weekend. In Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne, Meeus couldn’t contest the sprint after a disrupted build-up, so a top result didn’t materialise. “What I see most is that our riders are evaluating more honestly now — that allows us to improve much more specifically. And then you see that we win two days later,” Dempster said. “Not everything was perfect, but we’re heading in the right direction,” he concluded.