Rice and HTC: Why Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe was so eager to team up with the Van Dijke brothers

"We both had a great season. Now that our contract was ending after five years, we wanted to make the move together," Mick said in a first reaction to the Dutch outlet Omroep Zeeland. "That was basically our only demand. And the teams knew that too."

Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe was willing to take on that duo deal, so the Van Dijke brothers signed with the German team supported by Red Bull. There is a clear plan in place for the Dutch riders. "We have already made some great plans with the people at Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe. This includes racing in the classics, and we will take a closer look at time-trialing," Mick previewed.

In total, the Van Dijke brothers spent five years with the Dutch team. Both joined the development team of what was at the time Jumbo-Visma in early 2020, with Mick being the first to move up to the professional team in May 2021. Both Tim and Mick rode a full program this spring, including Milan-San Remo, the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. Tim even made his grand tour debut in May this year when he was included in the Giro d'Italia selection for Visma | Lease a Bike.

Ralph Denk, CEO of the German WorldTour squad, is of course very pleased with the acquisition of the strong twins. "With Mick and Tim we are continuing with our transfer strategy and bringing more youngsters into the team," said the mustachioed German in a statement on the team website. "Both are powerful and quick. Combined with their physical presence, this is a combination that will help us in the spring and give us even more options in our sprint preparation."

Sports manager Rolf Aldag spoke with IDLProCycling.com under embargo at the start of the Vuelta stage in Cascais, Portugal, addressing his vision for the strong Dutch duo. "Of course, they are incredibly strong guys, but do you know what I find so interesting about them?" said the former rider.

Asking the question is answering it, Rolf. "They look beyond just cycling itself. They are real team players, both on and off the bike. And they give feedback, both in and outside the race. That makes them very valuable."

Loyal guys: sprinter Olav Kooij can testify to that, having won many races over the years with the support of the brothers. "In modern cycling, many pros just do what they're told, but Mick and Tim actually know what they’re doing," Aldag explains. "For example, ask a lot of riders why they eat a certain amount of rice, and they all say: because it's customary or required."

"Guys like Mick and Tim question out loud why they have to do such things, and that makes them great sparring partners," the German continues. "They also think about life beyond cycling. That’s important because I’ve seen too many riders who are controlled by others and don’t make it when things don’t go smoothly. I don’t have to worry about guys like Mick and Tim. They have a good head on their shoulders. They know there are more hours in a day than the five or six you spend on a bike, and they are also focused on their development outside of cycling."

It’s clear: Aldag is thrilled with the arrival of the Dutchman as he builds the superteam that Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe aims to become. He compares it to HTC-Columbia from 2008, 2009 and 2010, where he was the team leader at the time. They achieved 77, 85 and 64 (!) victories in those calendar years, respectively.

"We were not only a very successful team, but what I’m even prouder of is that everyone from that team ended up well. I haven’t seen anyone who ran into problems after their career," he proudly notes about the team that included Mark Cavendish, André Greipel, George Hincapie and CPA president Adam Hansen, among others.

"Those are the success stories in terms of riders, but it’s also about the riders below them. Take, for example, Mark Renshaw, who had a successful business. Now he’s back in cycling as Cavendish’s team leader at Astana, but that’s purely out of passion. And I could name more: Frantisek Rabon, who is now a marketing manager at Kalas... Martin and Peter Velits have built a very successful company," Aldag adds.

"That’s also part of the sport: that you approach the riders in such a way that, even if they don’t make it, they still land on their feet," Aldag explains his vision.