Two pros from New Zealand will reunite at Red Bull - BORA after growing up racing together: "We've probably known each other since we were 13 or 14"

The off-season has turned out to be very positive for Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe. The German team has made several high-profile signings. Two of them were Laurence Pithie and Finn Fisher-Black.

What connects the duo? They grew up racing together in New Zealand, and now they're reunited for the first time thanks to Red Bull - BORA. "We've probably known each other since we were 13 or 14," Fisher-Black told Cyclingnews. "We were always competitive on the bike, always friends when we got off," Pithie added.

The first race they will race as teammates in the Red Bull jersey will be the Tour Down Under in January. The former Groupama - FDJ and UAE Team Emirates riders will have a golden opportunity to shine in the first WorldTour-level race of the 2025 season.

If the two riders are to be compared, Laurence Pithie has more to look forward to in 2025 following his move to Red Bull - BORA. His year will revolve around the spring classics.

"I'll start at the [Tour] Down Under. Then I'll do the Surf Coast Classic and the Cadel Classic to try to defend the title there," said Pithie, for whom the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race was a first WorldTour victory last January. "Then I'll do the national championships. Afterwards I'll go back to Europe to do Milano-Sanremo and all the Flemish classics."

As for Finn Fisher-Black, his goals are clear: "In the first part of the season I'll go to the Tour Down Under and the Ardennes. After that, the Itzulia and Romandie, and then I'll be in a grand tour in the second half of the year. Whether it's the Tour or the Vuelta, it's not confirmed yet, but hopefully we'll be in one of them."