Van Dijke and Van Poppel join sprint train as Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe reveals Tour strategy featuring recovered Roglic and "new talent"

Danny van Poppel is now a familiar name in the Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe Tour selection, but the presence of Mick van Dijke is a first. Van Poppel's 25-year-old compatriot is making his debut in a Grand Tour, just like his twin brother Tim van Dijke did a year ago in the Giro d'Italia, then riding for Visma | Lease a Bike. Mick has already competed in many races this year with the men who now make up the Tour selection, so it's not a big surprise.

In addition to the Meeus-Van Poppel-Van Dijke train, Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe will, of course, be going all out for a classification with Roglic. The Slovenian withdrew from the Giro d'Italia after several crashes and was even on antibiotics for a while. However, he has recovered in time for his seventh Tour de France, a race he has only completed three times in the past. In 2020, he finished second in the dramatic edition in which Tadej Pogacar took the yellow jersey from him in a time trial on La Planche des Belles Filles.

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The climbing core around Roglic is comprised of Aleksandr Vlasov and Florian Lipowitz, with Gianni Moscon serving as the team's road captain and Laurence Pithie as the all-rounder. We haven't seen Vlasov at his best this year, but according to Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, that's entirely according to plan. “His season has been carefully built up to peak in the second half of the Tour,” is the ambitious statement for the 29-year-old Russian, who did not finish in the top ten in any of the warm-up races in 2025.

That was not the case for Lipowitz, the 24-year-old new kid, who is making his Tour debut after participating in the Giro and Vuelta in 2024. The German already finished seventh in the Tour of Spain and impressed ahead of the Tour with second place in Paris-Nice, fourth place in the Basque Country, and third place in the Dauphiné. “For the first time in eight years, three riders are making their debut in the selection, a strong signal to the next generation,” said the team, referring not only to Lipowitz but also to New Zealander Pithie and Van Dijke.

Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe is letting the young riders shine in the first half of the Tour de France. “Pithie is expected to excel on the classic terrain of the opening week. Lipowitz will use his Tour debut to gain valuable experience in a Grand Tour alongside Roglic. For Van Dijke, the Grand Départ in Lille will feel like a home race, just 150 kilometers from his hometown (Goes in Zeeland, ed.).”

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Sports director Rolf Aldag says his team is 'extremely well prepared' for the Tour de France. "Every stage has been reconned, analyzed, and simulated. Our team strength will be especially critical in the first half of the race – five riders are dedicated to guiding our three climbers safely toward the Pyrenees. In the high mountains, individual class will make the difference. That’s our race plan – and our guiding principle for the next three weeks."

Roglic is aiming for the podium in Paris, because Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe also knows that Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard are the top favorites for overall victory. “With Primoz, we have the luxury of having one of the most successful Grand Tour riders in our team. He’s focused, motivated, and in top form. When Primoz Roglic lines up for a Grand Tour, the podium is always the goal. To get there, we’ve taken a very individualized approach to preparing all eight riders – whether through altitude training, race intensity, or deliberate recovery time with their families. Everyone is arriving in the best possible shape.”

Primož Roglič
Florian Lipowitz
Jordi Meeus
Gianni Moscon
Laurence Pithie
Mick van Dijke
Danny van Poppel
Aleksandr Vlasov