Dutch experts believe Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe were merely "laying foundation for the arrival of Remco Evenepoel" with their transfers this winter
Cycling
At this point we have grown accustomed to rumours of teams supposedly looking to sign the double Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel. The most likely option however seems to be a potential move to Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe.
The only German team at WT-level was very active on the transfer market this winter and brought in no less than nine new faces. In the Kop over Kop podcast, Jeroen Vanbelleghem experesses his doubts about whether these reinforcements are what will put the German team on equal footing with superteams like UAE Team Emirates and Visma | Lease a Bike. "The riders who are coming are all strong, but are they the types of winners?"
"I think Maxim van Gils is the best purchase," he continues, "but otherwise I think they are all reinforcements in depth. They still have too few man to finish off the job, but with Roglic, Vlasov, Hindley and Martinez they can score enough points at Grand tours to become the third team."
Bobbie Traksel, however, sees the team's development as part of a bigger picture: "If you want to build a big and strong house, you have to start with a very strong foundation."
Jeroen Vanbelleghem sees exactly what Traksel means: "That's true and then next year they'll buy Evenepoel, right?"
"Exactly. If that happens, we will talk about the team in a completely different way. They are just building here. The foundation was laid last year and halfway through the year Red Bull said from the performance centre: now we are going to do it. You have seen the turnaround coming. Red Bull will continue to build in the coming years to become the best team in the world," said Traksel.
The hopes for the 2024 season after Red Bull's arrival were perhaps greater, but the commentator also thinks that the disappointing year can be justified: "Last season was disappointing and Roglic saved them with the Dauphiné and the Vuelta a Espana. That is because Red Bull joined, but had no influence on the current team. You will see that change in the coming years and next year we will talk about the biggest transfer ever of this team with Evenepoel."
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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