Finn Fisher-Black leaves team Pogacar (UAE-Team Emirates) and joins team Roglic (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe)

Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe has strengthened its team with Finn Fisher-Black, the 22-year-old New Zealander who has represented UAE Team Emirates in recent years. This was announced by the German WorldTour squad in a message on the team’s website. Fisher-Black is the second New Zealand addition to Ralph Denk's team, which had previously also signed Laurence Pithie.

"The young rider is especially strong on rolling terrain and in demanding finales," the communiqué announcing the transfer begins. And there is certainly truth to this, as we have seen Fisher-Black develop into a serious hill and punch specialist over the past few years. Recently, he impressively finished third in the overall standings of the Tour of Burgos, with his strong time trial also standing out.

From Jumbo-Visma to UAE Team Emirates to Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe: Fisher-Black’s journey

Fisher-Black, who will become a teammate of Primoz Roglic, made his debut in the WorldTour peloton at the age of 19: in 2021, he left the development team of what was then Jumbo-Visma for the team that also includes Tadej Pogacar. The young rider already secured several victories with the white jerseys. At the start of this year, he won the Muscat Classic and also claimed a stage victory in the Tour of Oman during the same period.

"I am very excited to start a new chapter in my career with Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe next season," Fisher-Black said, whose older sister Niamh Fisher-Black (SD Worx-Protime) is also an accomplished cyclist. "The team has made some significant strides this year, and it’s a project where I can really see myself growing further as a rider. I’ve learned a lot in my first years in the WorldTour, but now it’s time to spread my wings and move forward."

Denk also understandably responded enthusiastically to the new signing. "With Finn, we’ve attracted another great talent who has broken through this season. He wins both solo and from small groups. Moreover, he is fast and performs well in short time trials. And he does all this with a lot of confidence, even though he is still young. That makes him an interesting rider with a lot of potential." Earlier, Denk and his team also signed climbing talent and Giro revelation Giulio Pellizzari (Bardiani CSF-Faizanè).