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

[MLKarlos]

Allan Peiper joins the team as Strategic Advisor to the Sports Department

Allan Peiper is making his comeback on the WorldTour stage: the experienced Australian takes on the role of Strategic Advisor within the Sports Department of Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe.

www.redbullborahansgrohe.com

Seems like a great hire. Anyone who can say anything about it?

What I definately can say is, that RBH is building a massive management unit with plenty of people.

 

[Cycling111]

This inferiority complex (I would like to have another word but I can't find one better) about Pogacar is bliding people to the point they question how better Pogacar is due to equipment.
May I remind people, he won the TdF against Visma with zero relevant teammates?

They're not interested in remembering the 2020 Tour because it dismantles all their theories.

He won the Tour alone against a far superior team like Lotto-Jumbo. He didn't even have a Landa who finished fifth in the Tour.

It's also worth remembering that in 2023, until the accident, he was dominating the season, including resounding victories against Van der Poel at De Ronde and againts Vingegaard at Paris-Nice.
Using him as a reference for Remco in stage races is self-deception.

 

[Peyroteo94]

According to himself, one of his best watts, performances and he was beaten by the stronger guy. I know you like to find excuses for MVP when he loses to Pog but not in that edition. Pog's early attack, their big chase (MVP/WVA/Pog) behind a strong breakaway and the finale was awesome, superb intensity. Pog's 2023 Flandres was maybe better than 2025.

And WVA only won because Pogacar slowed down on Kwaremont (he couldn't drop MVP). If MVP wasn't there, Pogacar would drop WVA for sure. MVP had his best season in 2023 and we should not forget WVA was still in his peak. Now MVP is clearly better than WVA.
Moving on to not be off topic, Bora will have some problems in putting the right schedule to every star they have and for some reason, I believe Roglic will be sacrificed.

 

[Berniece]

According to himself, one of his best watts, performances and he was beaten by the stronger guy. I know you like to find excuses for MVP when he loses to Pog but not in that edition. Pog's early attack, their big chase (MVP/WVA/Pog) behind a strong breakaway and the finale was awesome, superb intensity. Pog's 2023 Flandres was maybe better than 2025.

Pogacar was the best rider during that race. I’m just saying that wasn’t peak MVDP. We got peak MVDP since summer 2023

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Pogacar was the best rider during that race. I’m just saying that wasn’t peak MVDP. We got peak MVDP since summer 2023

MVP was ridiculous in MSR 2023 and very strong in Roubaix 2023 as well. 2023 was his breakthrough. Anyway, my main point is that Pogacar's Flandres 2023 was his most impressive monument showing by then (even compared to monuments more suited to his abilities) and that his crash made 2023->2024 jump look bigger.

 

[Berniece]

MVP was ridiculous in MSR 2023 and very strong in Roubaix 2023 as well. 2023 was his breakthrough. Anyway, my main point is that Pogacar's Flandres 2023 was his most impressive monument showing by then (even compared to monuments more suited to his abilities) and that his crash made 2023->2024 jump look bigger.

That’s fine, we’ll agree to disagree. His results and the way he got those results are not comparable in my opinion. But like Peyrote already said, that’s not the topic of the thread

 

[AmRacer]

And WVA only won because Pogacar slowed down on Kwaremont (he couldn't drop MVP). If MVP wasn't there, Pogacar would drop WVA for sure. MVP had his best season in 2023 and we should not forget WVA was still in his peak. Now MVP is clearly better than WVA.
Moving on to not be off topic, Bora will have some problems in putting the right schedule to every star they have and for some reason, I believe Roglic will be sacrificed.

Rogla would be happy riding a warm up stage race, any random race, Suisse and Vuelta. Then retire.

 

[Berniece]

Using him as a reference for Remco in stage races is self-deception.

Who did this?

 

[Wyndbrook]

Seems like a great hire. Anyone who can say anything about it?

What I definately can say is, that RBH is building a massive management unit with plenty of people.

Sounds like it, and no other team is using a tunnel with resident bats for testing, so Poggi look out next year.

 

[Statze2]

The first team camp is done, december camp is close and one of the best parts of the season is around the corner - spring classics.

I´m really curious to find out how Bora will tackle the cobbled spring classics this year.
With the Lazkano case one of the riders who was brought in to have success in the cobbled classics is gone.

I think Bora will attack the classics as a grand tour. Bringing the major squad early together in a altitude camp do some preparation races and then attack the races.

Which pool of riders can be a part of the classics squad?

For me the obvious riders are (and they should stay together mid february until Roubaix):

- Pithie
- Meeus
- Vermeersch
- Tratnik
- van Dijcke Mick
- van Dijcke Tim

Which riders can be also part of the team?

- van Poppel
- Drizners
- Marit (if the rumours are true)
- Thornley

Which riders of the Development team can fill spots and ride smaller classics?

- Pajur
- Clemmensen
- Putz
- Donati

These are 10 World tour riders for 7 spots, but we have to have in mind that riders like Drizners are more likely to appear in races like Scheldeprijs or Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne and not in Tour of Flanders, Dwaars door Vlaanderen or Omloop.

Is there a rider who can win a big classic (Roubaix, Flanders)? to be honest this can only happen by accident. But Meeus, Pithie or Mick van Dijcke can score a top 5 in these races.
The best thing that could happen this year is to stand on a podium in one of the big races and be there deep in the final with more than one rider. This will strength the believe in being competitive in classics. The next important thing for me is to win a smaller or medium classic. Which one depends on the calender Bora is riding. But in the development of a rider like Pithie it would be huge to win a race in the spring.

 

[MLKarlos]

W

The first team camp is done, december camp is close and one of the best parts of the season is around the corner - spring classics.

I´m really curious to find out how Bora will tackle the cobbled spring classics this year.
With the Lazkano case one of the riders who was brought in to have success in the cobbled classics is gone.

I think Bora will attack the classics as a grand tour. Bringing the major squad early together in a altitude camp do some preparation races and then attack the races.

Which pool of riders can be a part of the classics squad?

For me the obvious riders are (and they should stay together mid february until Roubaix):

- Pithie
- Meeus
- Vermeersch
- Tratnik
- van Dijcke Mick
- van Dijcke Tim

Which riders can be also part of the team?

- van Poppel
- Drizners
- Marit (if the rumours are true)
- Thornley

Which riders of the Development team can fill spots and ride smaller classics?

- Pajur
- Clemmensen
- Putz
- Donati

These are 10 World tour riders for 7 spots, but we have to have in mind that riders like Drizners are more likely to appear in races like Scheldeprijs or Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne and not in Tour of Flanders, Dwaars door Vlaanderen or Omloop.

Is there a rider who can win a big classic (Roubaix, Flanders)? to be honest this can only happen by accident. But Meeus, Pithie or Mick van Dijcke can score a top 5 in these races.
The best thing that could happen this year is to stand on a podium in one of the big races and be there deep in the final with more than one rider. This will strength the believe in being competitive in classics. The next important thing for me is to win a smaller or medium classic. Which one depends on the calender Bora is riding. But in the development of a rider like Pithie it would be huge to win a race in the spring.

hat about Van Gils? Not for cobbles?

 

[Statze2]

W

hat about Van Gils? Not for cobbles?

No, he never paricipated in the big cobbled classics. For me no Reason to start now.
Let him Race san remo and then the ardenne races.

And i think van Gils has a lot room for leadership at strade bianchi, san remo and a small Stage Race as preparation.

 

[Oldman]

The argument was that on Galibier Remco climbed better than Vingegaard; so who got to the top of the hill first matters. If Remco could have held on, he would have.

Unless the finish line is at the top of the hill the climb is part of the course. Remco backing off and then regaining the front group is what a good racer and GT rider will do. Burning excess energy to maintain contact on a climb when your descending skills are predicably superior is smarter in the long run. Whether Remco was thinking this only he can say but he did catch on later. If an argument about a race course suggests primacy at the top of the hill at the expense of the actual finish order is more important then, I guess; we shouldn't call it a race course. We can call it an exhibition. Jonas won a pointless exhibition. Great.