Roglic is the team leader, but there’s also a question mark for Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe at the Vuelta

A rock-solid Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe has announced its roster for the Vuelta a España. With key riders in the general classification and the sprints, the German team will head to Monaco. Primoz Roglic, a four-time overall winner, leads the team—but it remains to be seen what we can expect from the Slovenian, who crashed while training before the race.

Roglic did not ride the Giro d'Italia or the Tour de France and focused entirely on the Vuelta, where he hoped to clinch his fifth overall victory. That would have made him the sole record holder, but not long ago, the 36-year-old climber was hit by a car. He was badly battered and bruised, and it remained to be seen whether he would be able to start. He will be able to start, but it’s unclear how well he’ll perform.

"I have a really good track record at the Vuelta, and I always enjoy racing there," Roglic says on the team’s website. "Winning it four times is something I never could have imagined, so I don’t want to put any extra pressure on myself. We’ll take it day by day, give it our all as a team, and try to achieve the best possible result. I’m looking forward to it.”

Team Director Sven Vanthourenhout is realistic about his team’s goals, but especially those of his team leader. “Our main goal is to win a stage—and hopefully more than one if the opportunity arises. Our second major goal is the general classification with Primoz, but we have to be realistic, because his preparation has gone very differently than we initially expected after his crash.”

Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe is also one of the only teams sending a true sprinter to Spain. Jordi Meeus is riding his second Vuelta, having already finished second on Stage 16 in 2021. “Jordi will have his own chances in the sprints, but at the same time, he’ll also work hard for the team. We want to give him sprint opportunities while ensuring that everything fits within our broader goals.”

In the mountains, Red Bull has Luke Tuckwell alongside Roglic. The young Australian finished sixth in the Tour de Romandie and nearly won the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes: he was only stripped of the leader’s jersey by Isaac Del Toro in the final stage. The rookie will mainly be testing his limits over three weeks of racing. Finn Fisher-Black will also have the chance to shine in the mountains (and on the hilly stages) and will be given a free hand to do so.

The team will also include the experienced Gianni Moscon and Gianni Vermeersch, Frederik Wandahl, and rookie Callum Thornley. The 23-year-old Briton impressed at the Tour of Poland with a third-place finish in the final time trial and won last year’s Tour of Lombardy for U23 riders. He also claimed his first professional victory that year with the time trial at the Sibiu Cycling Tour.