![\"Oier](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/oier-lazkano-68f258ef39c9a.jpg@webp.webp\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Their season results were respectable. The team collected 23
\nvictories, just one fewer than in 2024, and many of those came at WorldTour
\nlevel. Roglic won the overall title at Volta a Catalunya with two stages, Sam
\nWelsford began the year with multiple wins at the Tour Down Under, and Jordi
\nMeeus triumphed at the new Copenhagen WorldTour Sprint<\/p>\n
The team finished sixth overall in the UCI WorldTour
\nrankings, still firmly in the elite bracket, but a slight dip from fifth place
\nin the previous year. The team\u2019s highest points earners were Lipowitz, who
\nburst into the global top fifteen, and Roglic, who remained a consistent scorer
\neven as injury affected parts of his season. These results painted a picture of
\na strong year, albeit one that did not quite match the scale of their
\nambitions.<\/p>\n
Spring season<\/p>\n
The spring classics campaign was the most disappointing part
\nof their season. Despite heavily reinforcing their one-day squad, Red Bull struggled
\nto leave a mark on both the cobbles and the Ardennes. Milano-Sanremo set the
\ntone early, with the team unable to influence the race when it mattered. Their
\nbest finisher was deep into the minor places, and a long way off of the front 3.<\/p>\n
On the cobbles, the team showed faint glimpses of potential,
\nbut little more. At the Tour of Flanders, Pithie delivered an admirable ride to
\nfinish just outside the top ten. His eleventh place, in his debut at the Ronde,
\nwas a rare bright spot in an otherwise subdued classics effort. At
\nParis\u2013Roubaix, Mick van Dijke\u2019s eighteenth place was the best the team could
\nmanage, and the gap to the front of the race was glaring. Other major cobbled
\nevents, including E3 Harelbeke and Gent\u2013Wevelgem, passed without Red Bull\u2013Bora\u2013Hansgrohe
\nfeaturing in the decisive groups.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Oier Lazkano was one of the many signings who were meant to perform in the spring. He failed to do so, and was later suspended. @Sirotti<\/p>\n
Much of this was compounded by bad luck. Maxim Van Gils
\nendured an extremely difficult spring. A winter illness carried into March,
\nallergies disrupted his training, and a crash at Amstel Gold forced him out of
\nthe Ardennes entirely. Bora had invested heavily in Van Gils as a future
\nclassics leader, but through no fault of his own, he was unable to contribute
\nwhen it mattered. With other recruits like Lazkano and Moscon also struggling
\nfor form, the team went through the entire spring without a single podium in
\nthe marquee one-day races.<\/p>\n
The Ardennes provided a slight improvement, although not
\nenough to salvage the spring. Daniel Mart\u00ednez rode strongly at
\nLi\u00e8ge\u2013Bastogne\u2013Li\u00e8ge, finishing seventh in what would be Red
\nBull\u2013Bora\u2013Hansgrohe\u2019s only Monument top ten of the season. He attacked bravely
\non the C\u00f4te de la Roche-aux-Faucons and fought hard in the finale, but never
\nseriously threatened the podium.<\/p>\n
La Fl\u00e8che Wallonne and Amstel Gold brought no major results,
\nand the team\u2019s one-day campaign finished without a signature success. Given the
\ninvestment made into their classics squad, the spring was unquestionably below
\nexpectations, and the team acknowledged that much of what they had planned
\nsimply did not materialize.<\/p>\n
Grand Tours <\/p>\n
The Grand Tours, however, told a different story. This was
\nwhere Red Bull \u2013 Bora \u2013 hansgrohe excelled.<\/p>\n
The Giro began with Roglic as a strong favourite for pink,
\nbut Italy proved unkind once again. Multiple crashes gradually eroded his form,
\nand on a treacherous, rain-swept Stage 16, Roglic abandoned the race while
\nsitting just outside the top ten, battered and bruised. It was a gutting moment
\nfor the team.<\/p>\n
Yet, remarkably, what followed was one of the season\u2019s most
\nuplifting developments. Giulio Pellizzari, the twenty-one-year-old neo-pro
\nmaking his first Grand Tour appearance, stepped into the leadership void and
\nexcelled. Pellizzari climbed with composure and bravery across the final week\u2019s
\nmountain stages, finishing sixth overall in Rome.<\/p>\n
Nico Denz salvaged a stage win on Stage 18 with a
\nbrilliantly timed late attack, giving Bora something tangible to celebrate.
\nWhile Roglic\u2019s exit hurt, Pellizzari\u2019s emergence made the Giro one of the
\nteam\u2019s most significant long-term successes.<\/p>\n
![\"FlorianLipowitz\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/florianlipowitz-687bfccd809c9.jpg@webp.webp\")
<\/p>\n
Florian Lipowitz was a true revelation in 2025 and his Tour de France podium was the cherry on the cake. @Sirotti<\/p>\n
The Tour de France produced the highlight of the entire Red
\nBull \u2013 Bora \u2013 hansgrohe season. Roglic returned from his Giro crash but could
\nnot match the pace of Pogacar and Vingegaard in the mountains. Instead, Florian
\nLipowitz became the revelation.<\/p>\n
In his Tour debut, Lipowitz climbed consistently with the
\nbest, showing intelligence and maturity beyond his years. By the final week he
\nwas locked in a fierce battle with Oscar Onley for the final podium spot, as
\nRemco Evenepoel abandoned the week before. Lipowitz refused to crack.<\/p>\n
In Paris, he stood on
\nthe podium in third place, behind only the two generational giants of modern
\ncycling. It was the first Tour podium for a German rider since 2006. Lipowitz
\nalso claimed the white jersey as the best young rider. Meanwhile, Roglic
\nbattled on and finished eighth overall, giving the team two riders in the top
\nten. The Slovenian even had time to assault breakaways in the third week. For a
\nsquad that had spent years chasing a Tour breakthrough, this result marked a
\ndefining moment, just perhaps not from the rider they expected it to come from.<\/p>\n
The Vuelta a Espa\u00f1a completed the Grand Tour story with
\nanother strong showing. Jai Hindley led the team after crashing at the Giro and
\nsupporting Lipowitz at the Tour. The Australian rode a consistent race, staying
\nin podium contention until the final days, ultimately finishing fourth overall,
\njust shy of Tom Pidcock in 3rd.<\/p>\n
Pellizzari confirmed his status as one of the sport\u2019s
\nbrightest young climbers by winning a mountain stage and finishing sixth on GC,
\nmirroring his Giro result. For a twenty-one-year-old to finish top six in two
\nGrand Tours is extraordinary. Between Hindley\u2019s near-podium and Pellizzari\u2019s
\ncontinued rise, the Vuelta capped a Grand Tour campaign that re-established
\nBora as one of the strongest GC teams in the world, even without Roglic at his
\nbest.<\/p>\n
Transfers<\/p>\n
Now for the section you\u2019ve all been waiting for.<\/p>\n
As the off-season approached, Red Bull \u2013 Bora \u2013 hansgrohe
\nshook the cycling world with a transfer that instantly altered their long-term
\ntrajectory: the signing of Remco Evenepoel. The Belgian arrives as a three world
\ntime trial champion, a Grand Tour winner, double Olympic champion, and one of
\nthe most naturally gifted riders in modern cycling.<\/p>\n
His move from Soudal \u2013 Quick-Step was accompanied by trusted
\nlieutenant Mattia Cattaneo, classics all-rounder Gianni Vermeersch, lead-out
\nman Jarrad Drizners, and several key members of Evenepoel\u2019s personal
\nperformance staff.<\/p>\n
Departures included Roger Adri\u00e0, and Oier Lazkano notably,
\nwhose contract was terminated following a biological passport violation. The
\ncore GC unit, Roglic, Hindley, Vlasov, Lipowitz and Pellizzari remains intact and
\nis now joined by one of the most electrifying riders in the world. But can
\nEvenepoel establish himself as the best of the bunch, or will there be internal
\nfireworks in 2026?<\/p>\n
Final verdict: 7\/10<\/p>\n
The question is no longer whether Red Bull \u2013 Bora \u2013 hansgrohe
\ncan contend in Grand Tours. It is how they will distribute leadership between
\nRoglic, Evenepoel, Hindley, Lipowitz, and Pellizzari, an enviable problem for
\nany team.<\/p>\n
The final verdict on Red Bull\u2013Bora\u2013Hansgrohe\u2019s 2025 season
\nlands at a 7 out of 10. The team achieved several major successes: a Tour de
\nFrance podium, two riders in the Tour top ten, a breakout Grand Tour season for
\nPellizzari, a stage win in both the Giro and the Vuelta, and twenty-three
\nvictories overall.<\/p>\n
Yet the absence of a Monument win or a true classics
\nbreakthrough, combined with Roglic\u2019s Giro heartbreak and the sense that the
\nteam underperformed relative to its immense budget, keeps the score to a 7. If
\n2025 was the year Red Bull\u2019s influence began reshaping the project, 2026 will
\nbe the year the expectations truly rise. The least surprising transfer in the
\n21st century has finally happened, but will Evenepoel and Red Bull \u2013
\nBORA \u2013 Hansgrohe find the magic to challenge Pogacar and UAE?<\/p>\n
Discussion<\/p>\n
Fin Major (CyclingUpToDate)<\/p>\n
I\u2019m left feeling like it was good without ever becoming
\ngreat for BORA. The Tour podium was massive, and seeing Lipowitz and Pellizzari
\nexplode onto the scene was superb to watch. But with the money, the roster, and
\nthe Red Bull hype, I expected more punch in the classics and a cleaner Giro run
\nfor Roglic. Still, the foundations are clearly there. And with Evenepoel
\narriving, this team suddenly looks frightening. I can\u2019t wait to see what the
\nBelgian can do, but do believe he will face stiff competition internally.<\/p>\n
R\u00faben Silva (CyclingUpToDate) <\/p>\n
Truly a season of two halves. From May onwards, very high rating. Until April, very very modest. This was, let’s be honest, a good season for the team, so it is fair to point out first and foremost what did not go well. The team, with a new budget, signed nothing but leaders and incredible talents for the 2025 season, many of them to perform in the classics. Jan Tratnik, Maxim van Gils, Laurence Pithie, Finn Fisher-Black, Oier Lazkano, Mick and Tim van Dijke. On top form, these men would’ve been able to deliver Top10’s in every spring monument and much more, but they were all somewhat absent.<\/p>\n
Aside from a few smaller results, Lazkano – who we all know how it ended – had nothing in legs, van Gils was ill, Fisher-Black timed his form peaks wrong; whilst neither Tratnik or the van Dijke’s delivered on the potential that they brought in from Visma whilst having more freedom added to the leadership. It’s not exactly great. Take point 2 which is Dani Mart\u00ednez, runner-up to Tadej Pogacar at the 2024 Giro, he was 7th at Li\u00e8ge as pointed out but that was the one day in 2025 where he looked to be part of the action, which makes very little sense. Take Sam Welsford, king of the Down Under sprints and everything Australian, but barely a sprinter throughout the rest of the year. His last Top10 finish in a stage was in May, which also makes no sense for a sprinter capable of winning half the stages in a World Tour race in the same year. \u00a0<\/p>\n
Onwards to the good points. Primoz Roglic has still got it, he won Catalunya and although I didn’t believe in a Giro win, a podium was fully possible. He had bad luck on his side and didn’t finish the race, but Giulio Pellizzari filled in perfectly, showing himself to the World and proving himself not only as a current Grand Tour specialist, but a potential winner who has a long-term deal already.<\/p>\n
Roglic showed his very best level at the Tour and found his ideal setup for the current part of his career, finding out ways to remove pressure from himself successfully, and riding a Tour without major crashes, where he was finishing Top5 – until he decided to go on suicidal attacks in the final week, but attacks we could all appreciate, and it matters little if he finished 5th or 8th. In Peyragudes, he finished third to Pogacar and Vingegaard, he still has it and I think he will continue winning in 2026.<\/p>\n
Florian Lipowitz, he promised in 2024, and delivered in 2025. The team couldn’t hope for better could they? He is certainly a Top5 stage-racer already, and finishing third at both Dauphin\u00e9 and Tour de France behind Pogacar and Vingegaard is a sign of a true leader, completely rider, brilliant climber… Plus he is German, young and a product of the team’s scouting. He is exactly the kind of leader the team needs and Red Bull have struck gold in him, with another long-term contract already signed.<\/p>\n
Move onto the Vuelta and we’ve also got the best Jai Hindley back, despite the injuries that took him out of the Giro. Finishing fourth and having Pellizzari back him up with 6th and a stage win, with work from both to help the other, it simply has worked and is a good sign for what’s to come.<\/p>\n
The team has SERIOUS bank, buying out Evenepoel’s contract and putting him on the 2nd highest payed salary in the peloton, which shows just how much Red Bull is putting into the team. Do the team NEED him? No. But now they have him, adding more potential to win Grand Tours, monuments, world titles and everything else. I truly believe Evenepoel can actually evolve with BORA, and now having an incredibly strong team of climbers backing him up can change things meaningfully. Not only climbers, but the German team has a strong block of experienced domestiques for all terrains and they can really make the Evenepoel risk worth it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Their season results were respectable. The team collected 23 victories, just one fewer than in 2024, and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":355189,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[445],"tags":[49,48,635,18459,74721,12464,18460,208,82],"class_list":["post-355188","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cycling","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-cycling","tag-florian-lipowitz","tag-jai-hindley","tag-primoz-roglic","tag-red-bull-bora-hansgrohe","tag-review","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/355188","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=355188"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/355188\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/355189"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=355188"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=355188"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=355188"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}