What is going on with Oier Lazkano? Spaniard, missing since Paris-Roubaix, reportedly left out of Red Bull – BORA’s end-of-season camp

Oier Lazkano’s situation at Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe has quietly become one of the strangest stories in the professional peloton. The Spaniard has not raced for the German WorldTour outfit since Paris-Roubaix — more than six months ago — and rumours continue to swirl about what has kept him sidelined for so long.

Reports suggest Lazkano has been battling a difficult spell off the bike, struggling with what has been described as a “mental block” that has prevented him from performing to his usual standard. Neither the rider nor the team has made any public comment, and the silence surrounding his absence has only deepened the mystery.

Fresh speculation has emerged now, after Cycling Report revealed that Lazkano will not attend Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe’s upcoming end-of-season gathering. The meeting, set to bring together more than 200 staff and riders at Red Bull’s headquarters, will reportedly take place without the Basque rider in attendance — a notable omission given the circumstances.

Lazkano remains under contract with the team until 2027, having signed a three-year deal when he joined from Movistar last winter. But given the length of his absence, the team’s lack of communication, and his exclusion from such a major organisational event, speculation is mounting that the two parties could part ways before the end of the year.

Lazkano’s move to Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe raised few eyebrows at the time. During three impressive seasons with Movistar Team, he emerged as one of Spain’s brightest prospects — powerful, aggressive, and unafraid to race on the front foot.

His palmarès backed that up: Spanish road race champion in 2023, winner of the 2024 Clásica Jaén Paraíso Interior, and general classification victor at the Boucles de la Mayenne a year earlier. He also collected stage wins at the Vuelta a Burgos, Tour de Wallonie, Boucles de la Mayenne and Volta a Portugal, while mixing it with the best in the Classics — finishing second at Dwars door Vlaanderen in 2023 and third at Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne in 2024.

There were also moments of pure inspiration, such as when he crested the Col du Tourmalet first during the 2024 Tour de France — a highlight that underlined his class and tenacity on cycling’s grandest stage. Yet for all that promise, Lazkano has not been seen in competitive action since April. What began as a quiet mid-season absence has evolved into one of the sport’s most perplexing storylines, with little clarity offered by either side.

Whether he returns to the WorldTour peloton in Red Bull – BORA’s colours or seeks a new start elsewhere — possibly even a comeback with Movistar — remains to be seen. What is clear is that Spanish cycling’s once-rising star has hit an unexpected crossroads.