“It’s been a miserable spring" - Jan Bakelants raises questions over Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe's Classics under-performance

There was a lot of hope and expectation for the Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe team in 2025, especially in the Classics after the notable arrivals of star signings Maxim van Gils, Oier Lazkano, Jan Tratnik and Laurence Pithie. So far though, it's fair to say the Spring has been a big disappointment.

Highlighting this fact, the Ardennes have so far been a complete disaster for Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe. At the Amstel Gold Race, Mick van Dijke was their only finished, placing 72nd nearly nine minutes down, whilst at La Fleche Wallonne last Wednesday, Van Gils came home first for the team all the way back in 43rd, over a minute and a half down on race-winner Tadej Pogacar.

Whilst luck has played a factor with Van Gils crashing out of the Amstel Gold Race and subsequently still not at 100% for La Fleche Wallonne, the chances of the team pulling a rabbit out of the hat and saving their Spring at Liege-Bastogne-Liege this weekend look slim.

“Maxim Van Gils actually started the season well with a stage win at the Ruta del Sol (Vuelta a Andalucia ed),” analyses ex-pro Jan Bakelants on Sporza's cycling podcast Wielerclub Wattage. “For a while, it even looked like Van Gils might win the overall in the Ruta del Sol. But eventually, he lost touch with the podium - and then he got sick.”

As already mentioned though, that disappointment proved a sign of things to come for the team. “It’s been a miserable spring for Van Gils - and by extension, the entire team,” Bakelants continued his observations. “Even Laurence Pithie, who we were praising to the skies last year, was nowhere to be seen in the classics. Same goes for Oier Lazkano.”

According to Sports Director Heinrich Haussler, the problem is actually quite simple. The riders just need time to settle after so many signings over the recent off-season. “We’ve got a lot of new riders who haven’t gelled yet. Because of that, they’re not riding as a cohesive unit,” he explained recently. “We’re also missing a true superstar - one of those marquee names. Laurence Pithie could become that one day, but it’s going to take a few more years.”