“Go big or go home!”: Chris Horner criticizes Red Bull’s ‘cherry-picking’ strategy to avoid Pogacar

The off-season has been a busy one for Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe, in which they have secured the services of one of the best riders in the world: Remco Evenepoel. But with great talent comes a complex management puzzle. According to Chris Horner, there is "drama brewing" within the German structure regarding the management of their two superstars, the split calendar, and the decision to leave Primoz Roglic off the Tour de France longlist.

Speaking on his podcast "Beyond the Coverage", Horner argued that the arrival of Remco Evenepoel has caused a huge shift in the hierarchy of the team, displacing Primoz Roglic from the spotlight.

"Remember the Belgian wonder kid switch? That was the big switch of the season last year, leaving Soudal Quick-Step going over to Red Bull," Horner said. "They had to buy his contract out, and with the buying of the contract out, Primoz Roglic, who I believe is the second-best rider in the world, got bumped down."

Horner clarified his ranking of the Slovenian veteran. "Not the best of the '25 season, for sure; that's not the case. But when you look at his resume with all his Vuelta a España victories, with Giro d'Italia victories, with Monument victories, you got to understand that Primoz Roglic has an incredible career going. But he has been bumped."

The evidence, according to Horner, lies in the roster for July. "The Tour de France is coming up in July of the '26 season, and Remco is their team leader. They haven't even put Primoz Roglic on the list. In fact, he's got a soft schedule."

According to Horner, Red Bull has prepared a schedule designed to avoid direct confrontation with Pogacar by splitting their forces.

"Between Primoz Roglic and Remco Evenepoel, they don't even meet up. So, is Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe cherry-picking a lot of the season here because they don't have to battle against one Tadej Pogacar except for at a few crucial moments throughout the season?" Horner asked.

Horner was critical of this "divide and conquer" approach, arguing that it weakens the team against the ultimate threat.

"I thought if you bring Remco Evenepoel in and Primoz Roglic, man, go big or go home! Go battle with Tadej Pogacar!" Horner argued. "Then play the tactics 100% correct, make UAE Team Emirates do everything, and try to beat the number one ranked rider in the world."

Instead, Horner believes the team is chasing volume of victories to appease sponsors, which might actually be a smart strategy. "Don't tell me later if they win a ton of races and go, 'Chris, they won everything.' I'll just tell you where they won: where Tadej Pogacar wasn't at," he said. "Sponsors don't understand cycling like up here on Beyond the Coverage... Sponsors just understand wins."

Horner outlined a specific scenario that could cause headaches for the team management. If Evenepoel loses to Pogacar at Liège-Bastogne-Liège, but Roglic manages to beat Pogacar at the Tour de Romandie shortly after, the pressure to change the Tour de France plans will be immense.

"Let's say Remco Evenepoel just got a beat-down from one Tadej Pogacar, and then Primoz Roglic beats Tadej Pogacar at Romandie," Horner hypothesized, assuming Roglic arrives in top form after Tirreno-Adriatico and the Itzulia Basque Country.

"Oh man, we're talking about a flip of the script there from all the directors of Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe. They have to be thinking about the Tour de France now that they've left Primoz Roglic off the roster."

"They've split up their team in half with Primoz Roglic and with Remco. So, can they blend those guys back together? Would they even know how to blend them back together if they decide to bring Roglic to the Tour de France? Because those two guys are not even racing throughout the beginning of the '26 season together," he concluded.