Young German talent leaves Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe for more opportunities: 'I want to win again'

Herzog has long been recognised as one of the sport’s talents. In 2022, he became the junior world champion. After a year with Hagens Berman Axeon, he joined Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe in 2024, where he has now gained three years of WorldTour experience. This year, he finished second in the final stage of the Tour of Valencia and fourth in the Bretagne Classic. He also achieved an impressive seventh-place finish at the European Championships.

Those results have helped establish him as a capable senior rider at one-day races, rather than just a former junior world champion.

It was a big step for the young German, who seemed to have found his place at Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe. But after three years, he is leaving the team after all. He will be parting ways with Remco Evenepoel and Giulio Pellizzari, among others, and hopes to rediscover his old riding style at EF Education-EasyPost, as he explains on his new team’s website.

"I want to start winning again," Herzog says. "That's my main goal: to win again, in breakaways, racing aggressively. I'm not the type to stay in the peloton all day and wait for the final climb. I watched the Tour de France this year, and the team was really good—and I’d love to contribute to that. I’m still young, and I think I have talent; I’ve already shown that at the junior level. I think I’ll get more opportunities here. I’m really looking forward to it.”

He needs to tap into his old strengths to secure that first pro victory. “In the junior ranks, I was more of a sprinter, a bit more of a classics rider, but I’ve become more of a climber—tough one-day races suit me well, as do stage races with a challenging climb at the finish. But my goal should be to regain that explosiveness, because I love riding in breakaways, and if I’m in a group heading toward the finish, I’d love to win the sprint.”

Herzog has signed a three-year contract with EF Education-EasyPost. Tao Geoghegan Hart has also joined the American team, but the team has said goodbye to riders including Richard Carapaz, Mikkel Honoré, Madis Mihkels, Georg Steinhauser, and Markel Beloki. It’s a long list of quality and experience, but with the young German, the team is adding a lot of talent.

"Emil is an enormous talent," says CEO Jonathan Vaughters. "He was the junior world champion and, at 22, already has three years of WorldTour experience. This season, he was on the verge of his first professional victory. I think he’ll really come into his own in the coming years. He’s an aggressive rider who fits perfectly with our team’s style. We’re going to give him every opportunity to showcase his skills and strength.”