"He’s an intense guy, you know, he really prioritises winning" - Remco Evenepoel has 'infectious' effect on Red Bull teammates after first season
Cycling
Remco Evenepoel's tunnel vision for success has rubbed off on his Red Bull - BORA Hansgrohe teammates. That's according to the team's head of sports, Zak Dempster, who got to know the Belgian as both took on their first year with the structure.
A serial winner, Evenepoel has become accustomed to victory in his junior years before going on to win monuments, World Championships and a double Olympics triumph. Joining Red Bull last winter, the 26-year-old hit new heights with a Tour de France road stage win and second overall in a largely successful season.
Dempster, who joined from INEOS as the team's head of sports, sees Evenepoel's intense focus on improving and working towards victories as making a positive impact on his colleagues. In a season that saw Red Bull podium all three Grand Tours, Evenepoel is at the forefront of the team's 2027 plans.
“It’s been great to have him on board and get to know him,” Dempster told Domestique. “Even if it has been one of his most successful seasons, there are definitely learnings from this year that we can take into next season. We’re looking forward to continuing the journey.”
“I mean, he’s an intense guy, you know, he really prioritises winning. So in everything he does, winning is at the forefront. I think that intensity he has for preparing and racing is infectious across the team, and everyone has definitely felt it."
Remco Evenepoel
Dempster on Evenepoel's consistency
Dempster worked closely with Evenepoel throughout the season, and reflected on his consistency bringing victories - even when things didn't go quite to plan at the UAE Tour and Volta a Catalunya.
However, those lessons taught them to take a well-documented patient approach to the Tour, with Evenepoel taking over two months away from racing to meticulously plan and prepare for the Grand Tour.
“He missed the mark in UAE and he didn’t win in Catalunya, but at the same time he was still always consistently winning races through that period.
“That definitely led to the decision, where we said, ‘Ok, let’s just take our time to build slowly towards the Tour.’ And I think it paid off in the end. But it’s really just been about learning about him as an athlete and what he needs to be at his best.”
Ultimately, the strategy paid off for the Belgian as he found himself in career-best shape on his way to a comfortable second place, besting Tadej Pogacar in a mountain finish to take his first-ever road stage win at the Tour.
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"Maybe the best shape of his life"
Dempster credits a consistent training load in helping Evenepoel find his general classification form, which perhaps hadn't been on show since the 2024 Tour. Both rider and team carry that confidence into their 2027 goals.
“It had been a couple of years since he’d had the chance to ride a good GC, but at the same time, you can’t forget the interruptions he’d had since then.
“I think just getting a good, consistent training load in was very important. The decision to skip the Dauphiné was a really good one, and he got himself into maybe the best shape of his life."
He added: “To see him confirm that with the performances in the third week, even beating Pogačar on a mountain stage, was pretty special to see. It gives him and us confidence for the future.”
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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Rafionain-Glas26-10-2026 - Brilliantly putRafionain-Glas26-10-2026
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