ANALYSIS | Is Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe the right place for Remco Evenepoel?

As Remco Evenepoel’s future continues to ignite conversations in the media, one destination keeps resurfacing with increasing plausibility: Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe. After years of rumors linking the Belgian to various teams, it now looks as though a move away from Soudal – Quick-Step is not only possible, but imminent. And while the deal isn’t done yet, it’s worth asking: is Red Bull – BORA - hasngrohe the right move?

On paper, the answer leans toward yes. This is a team that’s undergone a major transformation since Red Bull formally partnered with BORA ahead of the 2024 Tour de France. The new entity reportedly operates with a budget in the region of €50 million, compared to Quick-Step’s €30 million, and that gap translates into meaningful advantages. More financial muscle means better resources, higher quality equipment, and, most importantly, the ability to build a deeper team around a true Grand Tour leader.

That last point is central to Evenepoel’s next move. While his individual talent is unquestionable, the reality is that Grand Tours are no longer won by individual brilliance alone. The current standard is set by Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard, both of whom are backed by squads stacked with elite climbers and genuine GC contenders in their own right. UAE Team Emirates – XRG and Team Visma | Lease a Bike can call on multiple top 10 GC riders as domestiques, riders who, on lesser teams, would be outright leaders.

Evenepoel has rarely had that luxury. At Quick-Step, he has often found himself isolated when it matters most, particularly on summit finishes and in the final week of stage races. The team has long excelled in one-day racing, although not at all in 2025, but its transition to a Grand Tour squad has never fully materialised.

As a result, Evenepoel has spent more time defending alone than dictating from a position of strength. To realistically challenge the best stage racers of this generation, and maybe even all time, that simply has to change.

Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe could offer exactly that. With a deep budget and a renewed ambition to win three-week races, they are clearly looking to reset for the post-Roglic era. That’s not to say Roglic is done, his contract runs through at least 2026, but at 36, and after a brutal run of crashes (including withdrawals from both the 2024 Tour and 2025 Giro), the team is right to start planning for what comes next.

It’s also telling that BORA’s recent history in Grand Tours has been erratic. There have been triumphs, like the Vuelta win with Roglic in 2024, but also baffling tactical decisions, such as allowing Ben O’Connor to gain five minutes early in that same race. In May this year, both Roglic and Jai Hindley crashed out of the Giro, leaving the team with nothing to show for a heavy investment.

Bringing in Evenepoel would signal a structural shift: not just backing a new leader, but potentially building a modern GC program around him for the future too.

And there's a financial incentive too, which can’t be understated. In 2024, reports pegged Roglic’s salary at €4.5 million. Evenepoel, by comparison, was earning just under €3 million at Quick-Step. By no means is Evenepoel struggling for money then, but a transfer would likely come with a significant pay increase, another indicator of how highly Red Bull values his potential.

Of course, questions remain. Would Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe give Evenepoel full leadership, or would he have to share it with Roglic in 2026? Can the team truly match the organisation and sharpness of UAE or Visma? These are open concerns, but they don’t outweigh the underlying truth: for Evenepoel to beat the best, he needs more than just his own legs. He needs a team built to win a Grand Tour, and right now, Quick-Step simply doesn’t look equipped to provide it.

A move to Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe may not guarantee victory. But staying put might guarantee frustration. For Evenepoel, it’s a calculated risk, but he is entering the stage of his career where he needs to take those risks.