In July, Primoz Roglic made it to Paris at last. His
eighth-place finish at the 2025 Tour de France marked the first time he had
completed the race since 2020, when he famously lost yellow in the final time
trial to Tadej Pogacar. After three consecutive DNFs and a Giro d’Italia
campaign derailed by crashes, just reaching the Champs-Élysées again was a
relief. But while Roglic may have viewed the Tour as a personal triumph, not
everyone inside or outside the team felt the same.
In the final week of the Tour, Roglic threw everything at
the road, jumping into breakaways in a hunt for a stage win. It was a bold, if
chaotic, approach, and one that cost him his place in the top five. For Roglic,
a four time grand tour winner, a top 5 means nothing, and so it made sense why
he hunted the stage win.
But what raised eyebrows wasn’t his aggressive riding, it
was who he didn’t ride for. As Florian Lipowitz fought for the podium and white
jersey, many German fans were left wondering why the team’s veteran wasn’t
playing the role of super-domestique.
The criticism reached a new level this week in an article
from ARD Sportschau, where journalist Stephan Klemm called out Roglic
directly. “Primož Roglič,” Klemm wrote, “performed a solo act,” accusing the
Slovenian of ignoring “his much better teammate Florian Lipowitz.” The timing
of the criticism couldn’t be more pointed, coming just days after Red Bull –
BORA – hansgrohe confirmed the signing of Remco Evenepoel for 2026.
According to Klemm, Roglic’s actions during the Tour weren’t
just frustrating, they were divisive. With Lipowitz riding into the top three
and securing his second straight white jersey, it was clear where the team’s
momentum lay. Yet instead of working for the 24-year-old German, Roglic pursued
his own objectives.
In what appears to be a response to internal discontent, and
in preparation for the arrival of Evenepoel, Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe
dismissed two key figures: sporting director Rolf Aldag and team manager Enrico
Gasparotto. But how will this impact the squad in 2026?