Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe under review: With Vuelta victory, Roglic lays foundation for new superteam

With big names like Primoz Roglic, Daniel Felipe Martínez, Aleksandr Vlasov and Jai Hindley, it was clear that Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe would primarily focus on stage races. For one-day races, the race plan mainly relied on the sprinters and attackers. This approach did not yield much success: Jordi Meeus and Sam Welsford, the team's fastest riders on paper, failed to impress during the Flemish spring. For Meeus, a third place in Gent-Wevelgem was a positive note, but his victories came only in smaller stage races.

In 2024, Danny van Poppel again did what he usually does: race aggressively and secure top positions. He finished third in the Classic Brugge-De Panne and ended the year with sixth place in the Sparkassen Münsterland Giro. However, success in bigger one-day races eluded him as well. Maximilian Schachmann had a solid year, especially with a strong Giro, but failed to make an impact in the classics. Even in the Ardennes, where riders like Martínez, Vlasov and Sergio Higuita were key figures, there was no success.

That meant the German team had to rely on pleasant surprises coming their way in terms of the one-day races. Young Emil Herzog, in his first professional year, managed seventh place in Milan-Turin. Surprisingly, the best classics rider was Roger Adrià. The Spaniard performed consistently throughout the year, with a top twenty finish in the Amstel Gold Race, fifth in Eschborn Frankfurt and a strong finish to the season: fifth in the Super 8 Classic, eleventh at the World Championships, sixth in the Giro dell'Emilia, third in the Coppa Bernocchi, eleventh in the Tour of Lombardy and a victory in the GP Wallonia. If he continues to progress next year, the team has someone to build around.

The arrival of Roglic was the biggest move for the German team. As a four-time grand tour winner, the Slovenian joined as a true star. The main goal: the Tour de France, of course. Everything was geared toward a top result in the Tour, with the yellow jersey as the ultimate dream. After a rough start in Paris-Nice, winning the Critérium du Dauphiné was a promising step forward. However, the Tour proved challenging for Roglic. After eleven days, he was already more than two minutes behind Tadej Pogacar. A crash in the twelfth stage complicated matters further, resulting in a vertebra fracture and Roglic abandoning the race.

Was the season over? The Vuelta a España became the new goal, though nothing was certain. Fortunately, the Slovenian was able to start in his beloved race. Once again, he proved to be the master in Spain. A fourth Vuelta victory was a significant relief and much-needed boost for both Roglic and the team. Hindley, a Giro winner two years prior, was but a shadow of his former self.

Martínez’s second place in the Giro was another highlight. Winning with Pogacar in the peloton was out of the question, but the Colombian's podium finish was arguably even more impressive. He was the 'best of the rest' in Italy. Vlasov showcased strong performances in smaller stage races, but struggled in the grand tours. However, Red Bull's strength, particularly in the Vuelta, hinted at promising prospects for the future. Another bright spot was Florian Lipowitz. The young German broke through in the Tour of Romandie and showed his potential in the Vuelta, finishing seventh overall as Roglic’s key support rider.

Roglic's Vuelta victory helped Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe avoid a failing grade. Winning a grand tour is one of the most significant achievements of the year. However, truthfully, the rest of the year was lackluster. If a team underperforms in the most important race, it’s hard to claim overwhelming success. Ultimately, Roglic's eight wins out of the team's total of 24 were crucial. Therefore, we give them a final score of 6.6. Not bad, but not exceptional either, especially knowing they could have done better.

Enough about last season. The German team is unlikely to complain too much about 2024, especially with an eye on the coming cycling year. Performance Manager Dan Lorang stated that 2025 would be the true start. This statement is reinforced by an extremely active transfer period. First, the departures: several key riders will leave the team. Schachmann, Higuita, Lennard Kämna, Emanuel Buchmann... These are all riders who contributed significantly over the past years. In total, twelve riders will depart, which is nothing short of an exodus.

On the other hand, there is an influx of talent. Tim and Mick van Dijke are joining from Visma | Lease a Bike, along with Roglic's teammate Jan Tratnik. Along with Gianni Moscon, they will strengthen the classics squad but can be utilized in multiple areas. The same goes for Oier Lazkano, who is coming in from Movistar. The potential of this strong Spaniard is yet to be fully known, but his climbing abilities and power in the Flemish spring races will give his new team a major boost.

Laurence Pithie was the revelation of the 2024 spring season, achieving seventh place in Paris-Roubaix despite a bad crash. And remember: the New Zealander is only 22. His compatriot Finn Fisher-Black is better suited for hilly and climbing races, making him a natural successor to Sergio Higuita. And what about Giulio Pellizzari? The young Italian turns 21 later this month, but with an impressive Giro (second in stage 16 and second in the mountain classification) and a strong autumn (14th in the Tour of Lombardy, 6th in the Veneto Classic), he showed exceptional talent. With this climbing prowess, Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe might have made a brilliant move.

Incoming: Tim van Dijke, Mick van Dijke, Jan Tratnik (all Visma | Lease a Bike), Gianni Moscon (Soudal Quick-Step), Oier Lazkano (Movistar), Laurence Pithie (Groupama-FDJ), Finn Fisher-Black (UAE Team Emirates), Giulio Pellizzari (VF Group - Bardiani CSF - Faizanè).

Outgoing (preliminary list): Bob Jungels (INEOS Grenadiers), Maximilian Schachmann (Soudal Quick-Step), Emanuel Buchmann (Cofidis), Sergio Higuita (Astana Qazaqstan), Lennard Kämna (Lidl-Trek), Marco Haller (Tudor Pro Cycling), Patrick Gamper (Jayco AlUla), Luis-Joe Lührs (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Development Team), Cesare Benedetti (retired), Matteo Sobrero (not yet known), Jonas Koch (not yet known), Anton Palzer (not yet known).

With new blood joining the team, there are high expectations for Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe in the upcoming season. The squad has strengthened across the board. In the classics, the roster seems particularly strong now. In previous years, the team focused primarily on stage races, but with riders like Lazkano, Meeus, Pithie, Van Poppel and the Van Dijkes, they are now aiming for races like Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders. If Moscon can return to his old form, they will have another strong piece in their lineup.

The Ardennes squad is also well-prepared. If Roglic sets goals for April, he is always in contention for victory. But with Martínez, Vlasov, Pellizzari, Lazkano, Hindley, Fisher-Black and Adrià, there is no shortage of options. When it comes to the sprinters, improvements have been made in the lead-out train, featuring the strong Visma | Lease a Bike twins and Pithie. Welsford and Meeus bring the speed, and with additional support, this should translate into more wins.

In terms of grand tours, it goes without saying that all eyes willbe on Roglic. The Slovenian still dreams of yellow, though whether this is realistic remains to be seen. However, he is not the only card the team can play. With former Giro winner Hindley, podium contender Martínez, and young talents like Pellizzari and Lipowitz, there is enough quality to field a strong lineup for all grand tours. Adrià and Fisher-Black might also contribute here, though it's uncertain where they will put their focus. Regardless, with these new additions, Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe is one of the most intriguing teams to watch in 2025.

1. Roger Adrià
2. Giovanni Aleotti
3. Nico Denz
4. Finn Fisher-Black
5. Alexander Hajek
6. Emil Herzog
7. Jai Hindley
8. Oier Lazkano
9. Florian Lipowitz
10. Filip Maciejuk
11. Daniel Felipe Martínez
12. Jordi Meeus
13. Gianni Moscon
14. Ryan Mullen
15. Giulio Pellizzari
16. Laurence Pithie
17. Primoz Roglic
18. Jan Tratnik
19. Mick van Dijke
20. Tim van Dijke
21. Danny van Poppel
22. Aleksandr Vlasov
23. Frederik Wandahl
24. Sam Welsford
25. Ben Zwiehoff