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

[Cycling111]

The mystery of Lazkano has been solved.
He is suspended due to anomalies in his biological passport.

By the way, I posted this here because we were talking about his absence in this thread.
I understand it's not a matter for the clinic because it's not speculation, is a confirmed suspension and the explanation for its absence that we debated so much here.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1983929300114948430

View: https://x.com/LeGruppetto/status/1983929300114948430

 

[KoopaCycling]

Not surprised

 

[Links2003]

The mystery of Lazkano has been solved.
He is suspended due to anomalies in his biological passport.

By the way, I posted this here because we were talking about his absence in this thread.
I understand it's not a matter for the clinic because it's not speculation, is a confirmed suspension and the explanation for its absence that we debated so much here.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1983929300114948430

View: https://x.com/LeGruppetto/status/1983929300114948430

And in addition: He is not longer a member of the team.

 

[MLKarlos]

Damn. Such a shame. I liked watching him. At least the mystery is solved

 

[Ilmaestro99]

And in addition: He is not longer a member of the team.

Rolf denk just really doesn't care about communication does he? I have not seen any statement from the team about this.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Rolf denk just really doesn't care about communication does he? I have not seen any statement from the team about this.

They're having a laugh Red Bull, Remco didn't even get a big transfer announcement either.

If Lazkano got popped when he was on Unibet they would have a big feature length film to release on twitter featuring him involved in a police chase, along with a big silhouette question-marked image posted hours before, 'You'll never guess WHICH of our riders has been involved in shady hijinks, tune in at 8pm to find out'.

 

[Samamba]

They're having a laugh Red Bull, Remco didn't even get a big transfer announcement either.

If Lazkano got popped when he was on Unibet they would have a big feature length film to release on twitter featuring him involved in a police chase, along with a big silhouette question-marked image posted hours before, 'You'll never guess WHICH of our riders has been involved in shady hijinks, tune in at 8pm to find out'.

If only there wasn't a doping case at TDT this year...

 

[Tim Cahill]

If only there wasn't a doping case at TDT this year...

 

[Samamba]

How bored are you tonight?

 

[CyclistAbi]

Rolf denk just really doesn't care about communication does he? I have not seen any statement from the team about this.

Contract termination speaks volumes.

Beyond that it's in between Lazkano and UCI and possibly his former team as 2025 season isn't included. Note that provisional suspension doesn't equal a ban so it's mostly up to Lazkano now, to clear his name, or not.

 

[Statze2]

Interesting if the Open Spot will be filled from RBH. 28 riders, three new from the devo Team and one is riding Part time MTB, Are to less riders. Yes I know Lorenzo Finn, Pajur and some more will Ride with the WT squad but this is also risky as they should Focus on their races and not always fill the Spots in the WT squad.
For me this explains why they were interested in Laurenz Rex.

I think we will See something similar to the van Gils case last year.

 

[pastronef]

Interesting if the Open Spot will be filled from RBH. 28 riders, three new from the devo Team and one is riding Part time MTB, Are to less riders. Yes I know Lorenzo Finn, Pajur and some more will Ride with the WT squad but this is also risky as they should Focus on their races and not always fill the Spots in the WT squad.
For me this explains why they were interested in Laurenz Rex.

I think we will See something similar to the van Gils case last year.

you mean Redbull will buy-out some riders from other teams? tbf there are some free riders that would come cheap.
Engelhardt, Steimle, Czerny, Lamperti, Haig, Traen, Heiduk, even Lafay

 

[KoopaCycling]

Derek Gee is available. Could make for a solid domestique if he is willing to ride for others.
As well as be actual team leader in some races.

Teams might not want to touch him though

 

[Links2003]

Rolf denk just really doesn't care about communication does he? I have not seen any statement from the team about this.

It is normal for the RBH not to make any major announcements for its own protection (and perhaps also for the rider's). Who wants to hear too much about doping involving their own name, especially when it concerns a time when they were not with the team?

But they have officially confirmed that he has been dismissed.

 

[CyclistAbi]

COLUMN | How do you piece together the 2026 Red Bull - BORA puzzle... And can you?

"Having lots of good riders is a privilege, not a problem" applies to several teams. Will it apply to Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe? In 2026 the German team will have a sea of sharks, but without a Tade...

cyclinguptodate.com

So it seems that RBH has a Ferrari now and nobody knows what to do with it. Just crazy.

 

[Berniece]

COLUMN | How do you piece together the 2026 Red Bull - BORA puzzle... And can you?

"Having lots of good riders is a privilege, not a problem" applies to several teams. Will it apply to Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe? In 2026 the German team will have a sea of sharks, but without a Tade...

cyclinguptodate.com

So it seems that RBH has a Ferrari now and nobody knows what to do with it. Just crazy.

Who is the Ferrari in this case? Roglic? They clearly say he should go to the Vuelta.

 

[MLKarlos]

I find those Leadership discussions so over the top and for me personally it is just media made.

You have 1 seasons where you have Lipo, Remco and Roglic at the same team. Lets be realistic...Roglic will be on another team next year.

Then you have Pellizari...sorry, he is not ready to lead a GT.

Then you have Martinez and Vlasov...both were a no show last year...why should they claim any leadership on a GT? Yes they can claim leadership for one week races but thats about it.

Then you have Hindley. Strong Vuelta, but he is still not as strong as the other three.

I find all of those discussions misleading. You have basically on EVERY team several riders who could claim GT leadership. E.g.: Visma, Lidl or UAE.

 

[MLKarlos]

Are there any news reg. the Grenke squad for next year?

 

[CyclistAbi]

Movistar deny any knowledge of Oier Lazkano Biological Passport abnormalities

Spanish squad says they only became aware of the case against Lazkano on the same day it was made public, and that it was 'materially impossible to know, or even intuit, any anomaly'

www.cyclingnews.com

Lazkanos former team responded, as i guess it should be, considering alleged violations are from that period.

I find those Leadership discussions so over the top and for me personally it is just media made.

You have 1 seasons where you have Lipo, Remco and Roglic at the same team. Lets be realistic...Roglic will be on another team next year.

Then you have Pellizari...sorry, he is not ready to lead a GT.

Then you have Martinez and Vlasov...both were a no show last year...why should they claim any leadership on a GT? Yes they can claim leadership for one week races but thats about it.

Then you have Hindley. Strong Vuelta, but he is still not as strong as the other three.

I find all of those discussions misleading. You have basically on EVERY team several riders who could claim GT leadership. E.g.: Visma, Lidl or UAE.

Of course, the reality is if they put all the mentioned riders together then they can form a bare bones AAA GT orientated team. Without that forget it as they will still be weak in terms of the team.

So any ideas on how to overblown this out of proportions will soon hit reality as on the contrary this is only the beginning now, a good enough base, nothing more.

What i would do i would take them on a spin ride, early in the season on some week long stage race, to see on how it goes, on how they perform together, after to build on that. For boys to have some fun hunting.

Any others ideas are destined to fail, nobody from the mentioned riders can go against full blown UAE or Visma with a half-assed team.

 

[CyclistAbi]

Who is the Ferrari in this case? Roglic? They clearly say he should go to the Vuelta.

The mentioned team as a whole, without that you have the engine or the body or the wheels ... so some spare parts but nothing more then that. Obviously whilst still looking good that doesn't drive good by itself.

 

[Berniece]

The mentioned team as a whole, without that you have the engine or the body or the wheels ... so some spare parts but nothing more then that. Obviously whilst still looking good that doesn't drive good by itself.

I have no clue what you are saying

 

[CyclistAbi]

@Berniece

Most of the time i don't either so i do understand you.

Anyway, during this off season mentioned riders will need to make a choice. Are they OK with all the articles written, basically mocking their chances:

Tour de France 2026 contenders – Analysing the riders who will be in the battle for yellow next July

Following the route announcement, here's the current state of affairs regarding the favourites, the outsiders and the total dark horses

www.cyclingnews.com

Being lead actors in B topics:

Question - Who is the third best GT rider?

Since we are in the silly season and this is one of the most controversial discussions here, who, do you think, is the third best GT rider right now? Right now = if we started a GT tomorrow, who would be third behind Pogacar and Vingegaard?

forum.cyclingnews.com

Betting odds stacked against them ...

If all that is fine with them, or if they instead want to be the next blaugrana galacticos. If they are not afraid of that then all the basic ingredients are there, so lets see what they will cook from it. Hopefully they will manage to do that and not to instead cry about it, on how hard it is on them. Hard life of being a part of a crappy performing super team, well paid.