Red Bull did not have the grand entrance to the world of professional cycling they had hoped for at the Tour de France. However sports director Rolf Aldag remains confident that the team will bounce back from this mishap and come back even stronger. But for now, the mood in the German team is still a bit gloomy, as not even a stage success seems to be within their powers in what's left of this year's edition.
The German team placed their bid on three-time Vuelta a Espana (2019, 2020, 2021) and Giro d'Italia (2023) winner Primoz Roglic, however it was all in vain when the Slovenian, who seemed to have a good shot at the podium in Nice, crashed twice in stages 11 and 12 and subsequently abandoned the race.
"Losing Aleks and then Primoz was very hard for us," Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe DS Aldag told Cyclism'Actu after stage 19. "It was very frustrating, you think all the work you've done, the training, staying for weeks on top of mountains... why? To come home injured and without having achieved our goals. It was hard for everyone. For the riders it's even harder, because they were ready to give everything for their leader, but we had to refocus on the stages to come."
"Since then we have been part of all the breakaways, it has not worked, but we continue to try. It also allows Primoz to see that he is part of a team that never gives up," he continues. "I don't think Primoz is too old. The most important thing is the energy you have left. He is not someone who started cycling at 10 years old. When you see his eyes shining when we talk about the race, I really don't think he is finished. He is very motivated and we can still count on him."
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