ANALYSIS | Red Bull - BORA - hangrohe's powerhouse roster to compete with Visma and UAE in 2026

The 2026 season is shaping up to be one of the most exciting for Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe, a team that has chosen to reinforce its identity and growth model with clear, strategic moves and, above all, with the bombshell signing of Remco Evenepoel on the cycling market.

The arrival of the Belgian, combined with the consistency of Primoz Roglic and the renewals of their young stars Florian Lipowitz, Giulio Pellizzari, and Lorenzo Finn, confirms that the German structure continues to back a long-term project based not only on signings, but also on consolidating internal talent.

Florian Lipowitz, 25, is a perfect example of this process. He arrived as a trainee and, over the years, evolved into a protagonist in the Grand Tours, even culminating with a podium in the Tour de France. His renewal extends a bond that remains fundamental for the German bloc.

For his part, Giulio Pellizzari, at just 22, completed two Grand Tours in his first WorldTour season, took a stage win, and finished sixth overall twice—an extraordinary performance for a rider still developing. The longer-term bet is Lorenzo Finn, 18, junior and U23 world champion, who will race with the development team and step up to the WorldTour in 2027. His early commitment reflects mutual confidence in a solid and ambitious development model.

General manager Ralph Denk has insisted that developing young talent is part of the team’s DNA. Lipowitz and Pellizzari, discovered before they turned 20, are now riders capable of making the difference at the highest level. Finn, with enormous potential, represents the next phase of that philosophy. Together with established leaders and a deep group of versatile riders, this trio embodies the future of the German structure.

Looking ahead to 2026, Red Bull BORA hansgrohe has set its sights on a very specific target: fighting for the podium in all three Grand Tours. That level of ambition is no surprise when you consider the team’s progression in recent seasons. The sports management insists they want to maintain an upward trajectory and, moreover, deliver an aggressive, recognizable racing style, true to their competitive identity.

The Giro d’Italia will be the first major test of the year. There, the team will bet on dual leadership with Giulio Pellizzari and Jai Hindley. Pellizzari heads into his third consecutive participation with a notable growth curve, while Hindley brings experience and deep knowledge of the race, where he has already won both a stage and the overall title. The blend of explosive youth and solid experience could play a key role in a Giro that will start in Bulgaria and promises decisive days from very early on.

At the Tour de France, all eyes will be on the duo of Remco Evenepoel and Florian Lipowitz. It’s a combination as powerful as it is tactically intriguing. Both were born in 2000, both come from other sports, and both already know what it’s like to finish third at the Tour. But they are at different points in their careers: Evenepoel as an established global star and Lipowitz as an emerging talent who keeps rising. Together they can open new strategic possibilities, both in the mountains and in time trials, especially with collective goals and not just individual ones.

La Vuelta a España will close out the cycle of major goals and carry huge emotional weight within the season. Primoz Roglic, at 36, will chase a historic fifth title, supported by a squad prepared to protect him from the very first stage, which will open with an opening time trial in Monte Carlo. His lead-up calendar will include prestigious races like Tirreno–Adriatico, Itzulia, and Romandie, where he will hone his form ahead of one of the most important appointments of his career.

The transfer market has also played a key role in shaping the team for 2026. The main addition is Remco Evenepoel, one of the biggest stars in world cycling, who arrives to lead the team at the Tour and inject renewed ambition into the project. The other standout signing is Haimar Etxeberria, a versatile, fast young rider who strengthens the team’s depth for mid-mountain profiles and punchy finishes.

We’ll see what the young Spaniard can do in his first year with the German team after a very interesting professional debut with Kern Pharma, where he opened his victory tally and earned a WorldTour spot. The only departures from the Teutonic squad are Spanish. On one hand, Roger Adrià, who leaves for Movistar Team. On the other, the painful farewell to Oier Lazkano after the UCI’s provisional doping sanction. They have a full roster of 30 riders to try to give Pogacar, Vingegaard, Van der Poel and company a real battle. Below is next year’s roster, with detailed ins and outs: