Roglic and Lipowitz for GC; Meeus for the sprints - Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe's Tour de France team

Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe are going all-in in pursuit of success at the Tour de France. Primoz Roglic will return to racing following his initial schedule after being forced to abandon the Giro d'Italia and will be joined by Florian Lipowitz in pursuit of a potential podium place in Paris.

“We’re heading into this Tour extremely well prepared. Every stage has been reconned, analyzed, and simulated," Rolf Aldag said in a press release. "Our team strength will be especially critical in the first half of the race – five riders are dedicated to guiding our three climbers safely toward the Pyrenees. In the high mountains, individual class will make the difference. That’s our race plan – and our guiding principle for the next three weeks.”

On paper Roglic would be the team leader however after finishing third at the Criterium du Dauphiné - alongside other quality results - it is very possible that the German climber Lipowitz can take over the responsibility of fighting for a top position in the race. Certainly both start as co-leaders, even if in Aldag's words it seems possible that Aleksandr Vlasov could also be considered one. Most likely, the Russian climber will mix in domestique and stage hunting duties.

The team will pay just as much attention to the sprints as Jordi Meeus - winner on the Champs-Élysées a few years back - returns to the race and with a very strong leadout consisting of Danny van Poppel, Mick van Dijke and Laurence Pithie. Certainly these four riders, alongside road captain Gianni Moscon who also comes from the Giro, will all play a role in aiding the climbers on the flat and hilly days. It is all-in-all a team with only three climbers but with the focus on having a very strong set of domestiques capable of keeping the leaders safe in the many treacherous days.

“With Primož, we have the luxury of having one of the most successful Grand Tour riders in our team. He’s focused, motivated, and in top form. When Primož Roglič lines up for a Grand Tour, the podium is always the goal. To get there, we’ve taken a very individualized approach to preparing all eight riders – whether through altitude training, race intensity, or deliberate recovery time with their families. Everyone is arriving in the best possible shape.”

Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe for Tour de France:
Primoz Roglic
Florian Lipowitz
Jordi Meeus
Gianni Moscon
Laurence Pithie
Mick van Dijke
Danny van Poppel
Aleksandr Vlasov