"It's too early to say what it might mean for Roglic and others" - Red Bull - BORA manager opens up on Evenepoel transfer

Remco Evenepoel's transfer to Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe was one of the first to be announced in this transfer season but it is likely the biggest move of the winter. For many months, whilst working behind the scenes, the German team kept it ambiguous and denying the rumours of the evolving deal that was being made. Now for the first time, team manager Ralph Denk talks about it publicly.

"The goal of the transfer is to expand our reach. We're not just talking about the Tour, but about much more. It's had a huge impact on the team in terms of media, as far as we can tell," Denk said in the Sport am Samstag podcast. "He's already achieved a lot at a young age, and we believe he can achieve much more. I've received many congratulations after his arrival. It's no secret that we've been interested in Remco since the coronavirus pandemic. What's extremely interesting is his development from footballer to cyclist."

Evenepoel had a contract until 2026 but he has decided to break it in order to join a new team where he will have more resources to aim for even bigger goals in his career, such as victories at the Tour de France and Giro d'Italia. He joins the German team where he will find more support in the mountains and likely elsewhere too.

"We didn't resolve it with Soudal Quick-Step, so I can't talk about that. He had to do all that himself. Once that was settled and he was free of contract, we could respond. And we did. We have strong partners in Red Bull, BORA, and hansgrohe, and we have a substantial budget. We've also set aside some funds in recent years, which is how we made this transfer possible."

The season is still far from over but over at BORA there is already some thinking regarding how the team will manage it's new set of leaders, taking into consideration the rise of Florian Lipowitz to Tour de France podium finisher, Primoz Roglic who maintains a high status in the peloton, former Grand Tour figures Jai Hindley and Daniel Martínez and another incredibly bright emerging talent in Giulio Pellizzari.

"We need to discuss how we're going to approach the Grand Tours. It's too early to say what it might mean for Roglic and others. Cycling isn't like football, where you only have one lineup for every race. In the Giro, Tour de France, and Vuelta, the team always looks the same. Once we know next year's routes, we can start putting the pieces together. Primoz and Florian are still under contract next year, in any case," he assures, adding that he does not fear his two current leaders will depart after the news of Evenepoel emerged.

"We need to discuss that internally, how we're going to approach the Tour de France and other races. Are we going for a single leader strategy, or are we going to choose a different approach? And I have to say, Remco didn't just come to us for the Tour de France, but for many other races as well. He's also going for the Classics, where he's already had a lot of success."

BORA is a team of an already extremely high level, and superior to most in pro cycling. However Denk hopes that this deal with raise the team to an even higher level, to that of UAE and Visma. "We're hoping for the Peter Sagan effect," he explains. "After Sagan's arrival, we finished second in the rankings in 2019 and won 47 races. Only four of those were Sagan's, but the other successes came from Ackermann, Buchmann, Schachmann, and Sam Bennett. So it's an opportunity for others too. The great Remco is coming, but he can also propel others to a higher level."

"We want to become the most attractive team in the peloton and inspire many children. That's our mission. We're well on our way, but we're far from the end of our mission. We want to win a Monument in 2026 and do well in the Grand Tours. We'd love to win a Grand Tour, like we did in 2024".