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"We want to be the best in every way" - Ralph Denk doesn't hold back about Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe ambitions
CyclingFriday, 12 July 2024 at 08:30
At Red Bull, they don't make half-baked decisions. And so their investment in Ralph Denk's BORA - hansgrohe can only signal one thing. To become the best.
While the team will considerably strengthen for next season (Tratnik, Pithie, Van Dijke twins, Pellizzari), some riders also must go. One such case is Lennard Kämna whose loss saddened Denk a bit. "I don’t know that Lennard is going to Lidl-Tek but for sure he will not continue with us," Denk confirmed to Cyclingnews. "I’m a little sad about the way his agent treated us but we just wish Lennard all the best for the future and we hope he can recover and race in the new Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe colours before the end of his contract."
"We want to be the best," he said. "We want to be the best in every way. We want to have sporting success, that’s the biggest thing, but we also want to help more people get into cycling at every level. We want to make the sport better too and also have some fun. We’ll think out of the box and so perhaps work across different kinds of cycling. Red Bull is in mountain biking and gravel too."
On their quest to become world's no. 1, it'll be important to set up an academy - a feeder team where they'll be able to grow the up and coming talent under the supervision of main team coaches. For that purpose U23 formation consisting of 12 names will be funded in 2025. We can only expect the best young riders from both Auto Eder (Bora's U19 project) and outside to give a foundation stone.
"The important thing is to win and how you win, it’s not about nationality," Denk explained. "Look at Red Bull in Formula 1. They’re based in Austria but are a global brand. I think they’re happy to have Max Verstappen as their leader. We have to find the Max Verstappen of cycling. That’s our goal."
"Big changes are coming," Denk repeated. "This is just the start. The deal was only signed in May. It’s a step-by-step process, as always with my teams." Red Bull now owns 51% of the team, however Denk will remain in the charge of the German formation for the time being. "Red Bull bought control of the team with a long-term plan. Their intentions are very serious and so are those of the team."
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