Teams & Riders The Red Bull - Bora - Hansgrohe team thread

[Berniece]

"Trying to understand where they stand as riders" – Red Bull's challenge balancing GC hopes of Roglic, Evenepoel, Lipowitz, Pellizzari, Martinez, Hindley & Vlasov in 2026

Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe’s new team manager Zak Dempster has opened up on the scale of the challenge facing him in 2026: managing a roster so deep in Grand Tour potential that internal competition...

cyclinguptodate.com

Here is a thought, you only need to add one more, and you got yourself a Tour team. Anyway, nice to see Zak still mentioning Rogla, Sven was rather reluctant to do so.

He is specifically saying he wants to take a co-leader approach with those names. Do you think it makes sense to have 7 co-leaders in a single GT? Would that work?

 

[RedheadDane]

Do you think it makes sense to have 7 co-leaders in a single GT? Would that work?

Too conservative. All 8 should be co-leaders for max chaos.

 

[CyclistAbi]

He is specifically saying he wants to take a co-leader approach with those names. Do you think it makes sense to have 7 co-leaders in a single GT? Would that work?

If they don't take their best to the Tour 2026 then i must say i am not all that optimistic about their chances against UAE and Visma in general. As for having more freedom, they can do that at Giro and Vuelta.

If they take all their best then i will consider this to be bare minimum, for calling RBH an AAA team, otherwise i am not sure what their expectations are, then better to send a sprinter and bunch of kids to the Tour.

 

[Berniece]

If they don't take their best to the Tour 2026 then i must say i am not all that optimistic about their chances against UAE and Visma in general. As for having more freedom, they can do that at Giro and Vuelta.

I don’t think it makes any sense to bring those 7 to the TDF

 

[CyclistAbi]

I don’t think it makes any sense to bring those 7 to the TDF

Of course it does.

 

[AlfaLum]

Would me plain stupid to sent all 7 to the Tour and they are never going to do that. At least 2 out of Evenepoel, Roglic, Hindley, Pellizarri and Lipowitz will go to the giro. I am expecting Roglic/Hindley with Pellizarri.

DFM and Vlasov will have to do a couple of very good first months to the season or they will just be domestiques.

 

[Berniece]

Of course it does.

How so? Please explain that tactic to me in for example flat stages with a lot of wind?

 

[peterfin]

How so? Please explain that tactic to me in for example flat stages with a lot of wind?

They make an echelon and do another TTT with Remco doing 50% of the work and the others giving him just enough time to recover. Total carnage.

 

[Berniece]

Did anyone read anything about how the team building week went?

 

[MLKarlos]

Too conservative. All 8 should be co-leaders for max chaos.

Finaly an unique strategy to beat UAE

 

[MLKarlos]

Did anyone read anything about how the team building week went?

nope...quite suprising that we havent seen any news so far.

 

[CyclistAbi]

How so? Please explain that tactic to me in for example flat stages with a lot of wind?

Why would a flat stage with a lot of wind be a problem for such team and what else would you want? The only question is on how much of an advantage is it in it for them.

Would me plain stupid to sent all 7 to the Tour and they are never going to do that. At least 2 out of Evenepoel, Roglic, Hindley, Pellizarri and Lipowitz will go to the giro. I am expecting Roglic/Hindley with Pellizarri.

DFM and Vlasov will have to do a couple of very good first months to the season or they will just be domestiques.

I mean if somebody feels the urge to do the Giro as a prep for Tour, do it. Otherwise i feel that a combo of youngsters/classics/sprinters and riders that will miss out the Tour, support riders, should be sent to Giro in the 2026 season.

'The Giro d'Italia is not on the agenda' - Florian Lipowitz aims for repeat ride in Tour de France next July

German star will likely announce full 2026 schedule in December at the earliest

www.cyclingnews.com

Exactly, imagine sending Lipo to the Giro, German media would tear RBH apart.

 

[red_flanders]

Why would a flat stage with a lot of wind be a problem for such team and what else would you want? The only question is on how much of an advantage is it in it for them.

It's not about one potential flat stage. Sending such a team would mean they'd have a full team of really good riders who can climb well and win races...burning matches literally every day as domestiques.

Not how teams typically...assign roles and plan seasons. Not how riders typically...want to be used.

 

[Berniece]

Why would a flat stage with a lot of wind be a problem for such team and what else would you want? The only question is on how much of an advantage is it in it for them.

Who is going to do most of the work if everyone is a leader? Why should Roglic fetch his own waterbottles and waste energy when Vlasov can get them?

 

[Oldman]

I don’t think it makes any sense to bring those 7 to the TDF

It's waaaaaay early to see how everyone's form plays out. There's a steady diet of earlier, confirming races to test the leadership qualifications. It's great they have this group, though.

 

[Oldman]

How so? Please explain that tactic to me in for example flat stages with a lot of wind?

Let JV go to the front and pull like they always do. Make sure 1 or 2 GC guys don't get gapped; like RBH did last year. Then fight for Tadej's wheel 'cause he always makes these moves without wasting a ton of energy.
Same as it ever was....

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

Did anyone read anything about how the team building week went?

My German isn’t that great but if i understood Lipowitz correct in the Tourfunk podcast it wasn’t much of a teambuilding week. It sounded like it was a lot about testing (i guess clothing, bike fit etc) and they didn’t have much time with the other riders. If I’m remembering correct this was a big part of his answer to the question of how he got along with Remco.

 

[YavorD]

If they don't take their best to the Tour 2026 then i must say i am not all that optimistic about their chances against UAE and Visma in general. As for having more freedom, they can do that at Giro and Vuelta.

RBB's team strength doesn't matter unless Evenepoel/Lipowitz improve just enough to stay with Pogacar/Vingegaard when the attacks come.

"The other riders will create chaos"?
Visma and UAE have enough strong helpers to control any strong break.

 

[CyclistAbi]

It's not about one potential flat stage. Sending such a team would mean they'd have a full team of really good riders who can climb well and win races...burning matches literally every day as domestiques.

Not how teams typically...assign roles and plan seasons. Not how riders typically...want to be used.

So basically it's because it might hurt their egos and for that reason we need to split them apart, for RBH to not have a bare bones AAA team participating at the Tour 2026. It will be much better for their egos if an A tier rider gets a dedicated GT team, on where after two thirds of any stage your team isolates you as a leader. After such A-lister can go on and try to podium.

Honestly i don't know if that is on how ego works or if ego can be satisfied whilst doing it like that.

Who is going to do most of the work if everyone is a leader? Why should Roglic fetch his own waterbottles and waste energy when Vlasov can get them?

RBH doesn't need to put any effort whatsoever in this, UAE will do it for them, make selection.

RBB's team strength doesn't matter unless Evenepoel/Lipowitz improve just enough to stay with Pogacar/Vingegaard when the attacks come.

"The other riders will create chaos"?
Visma and UAE have enough strong helpers to control any strong break.

I don't get it guys, really, lastly you acknowledge UAE and Visma have strong teams, but opening argument is saying RBH doesn't need a strong team. And now when they can finally assemble an AAA team, heavens forbid, that would be crazy.

 

[AmRacer]

So basically it's because it might hurt their egos and for that reason we need to split them apart, for RBH to not have a bare bones AAA team participating at the Tour 2026. It will be much better for their egos if an A tier rider gets a dedicated GT team, on where after two thirds of any stage your team isolates you as a leader. After such A-lister can go on and try to podium.

Honestly i don't know if that is on how ego works or if ego can be satisfied whilst doing it like that.



RBH doesn't need to put any effort whatsoever in this, UAE will do it for them, make selection.



I don't get it guys, really, lastly you acknowledge UAE and Visma have strong teams, but opening argument is saying RBH doesn't need a strong team. And now when they can finally assemble an AAA team, heavens forbid, that would be crazy.

It can be a good racing year with three strong teams.

 

[Berniece]

RBH doesn't need to put any effort whatsoever in this, UAE will do it for them, make selection.

On a flat stage?

 

[CyclistAbi]

It can be a good racing year with three strong teams.

If you split them in three parts then we are not talking about three strong teams any more, certainly not AAA tier. You get a strong individual, or two, plus a relatively weak team that will consistently isolate their own leader, day in day out.

On a flat stage?

If RBH with riders mentioned above is scared of flat stages then better to not even start the Tour. The only potential question is on how much can they gain on flat if by any chance they try. The wind made us do it, or something like that.

 

[HashRouge]

So basically it's because it might hurt their egos and for that reason we need to split them apart, for RBH to not have a bare bones AAA team participating at the Tour 2026. It will be much better for their egos if an A tier rider gets a dedicated GT team, on where after two thirds of any stage your team isolates you as a leader. After such A-lister can go on and try to podium.

Honestly i don't know if that is on how ego works or if ego can be satisfied whilst doing it like that.



RBH doesn't need to put any effort whatsoever in this, UAE will do it for them, make selection.



I don't get it guys, really, lastly you acknowledge UAE and Visma have strong teams, but opening argument is saying RBH doesn't need a strong team. And now when they can finally assemble an AAA team, heavens forbid, that would be crazy.

It would be great to see them take a stacked team to the Tour, but they do still need a couple of guys who can pull on the flat if they get caught behind a cross wind split, or who can help with positioning the smaller climbers on sprint stages and things like that. That said, I don't foresee as many leadership issues as others seem to if they did send a stacked climbing team to the Tour. Pelizarri, Hindley, Martinez and Vlasov all know they would be domestiques at the Tour to Remco/ Lipo. Roglic is the harder one, because he wasn't an especially useful teammate for Lipo this year. But I just wouldn't send Rog - fill the remaining spots on the team with a couple of versatile guys who can pull on the flat.
If UAE can have Almeida and Adam Yates working as domestiques, I don't see why Bora can't do something similar with the riders they have.

 

[Links2003]

It would be great to see them take a stacked team to the Tour, but they do still need a couple of guys who can pull on the flat if they get caught behind a cross wind split, or who can help with positioning the smaller climbers on sprint stages and things like that. That said, I don't foresee as many leadership issues as others seem to if they did send a stacked climbing team to the Tour. Pelizarri, Hindley, Martinez and Vlasov all know they would be domestiques at the Tour to Remco/ Lipo. Roglic is the harder one, because he wasn't an especially useful teammate for Lipo this year. But I just wouldn't send Rog - fill the remaining spots on the team with a couple of versatile guys who can pull on the flat.
If UAE can have Almeida and Adam Yates working as domestiques, I don't see why Bora can't do something similar with the riders they have.

Above all, you cannot be successful if everyone wants to be the captain or co-captain. Everywhere in life, different roles are needed. It must be clear who has to work in a given situation. If a captain has a defect at an inopportune moment, or other problems, then there must also be helpers. Otherwise, no one will wait and you will lose unnecessary time. Two co-captains are possible, but after that it must be clear who is a helper and who is not. As a helper, you must and can use your strengths in a completely different way.

 

[red_flanders]

So basically it's because it might hurt their egos and for that reason we need to split them apart, for RBH to not have a bare bones AAA team participating at the Tour 2026. It will be much better for their egos if an A tier rider gets a dedicated GT team, on where after two thirds of any stage your team isolates you as a leader. After such A-lister can go on and try to podium.

Honestly i don't know if that is on how ego works or if ego can be satisfied whilst doing it like that.

Uh...that's a pretty odd, pretty extremist way of framing it. Your prerogative I guess, but it really makes for an irrational conversation IMO.

You seem to be saying that if they don't bring all their top riders to a race, it's "bare bones". No, all teams have roles for their riders, and all teams are trying to maximize wins and sponsor value. Beating the crap out of guys by using them as domestiques when they could be more effective helping the team win other races is just...how teams are managed. To the team goals. This is why teams have domestiques.

I would imagine with RBH's fantastic roster, they will assign co-leaders to most of the biggest races and likely all of the GT's. Because that's sane. Some really good guys will be in support roles as climbing doms, and they'll have some roleurs to ride their faces off on the flats. Like every team...ever. No team looks at their roster and grabs the 8 or 9 strongest climbers/riders and calls that a team. They use their resources against team goals.

To what seems to be driving the irrational comments, Roglic will have his chances. He'll get better support in the races where he's the leader if the whole team isn't flogged every day at the Tour. Or he'll be a co-leader for the Tour again. They have a roster which can field numerous strong GT teams. No need to freak out.