Bahrain Victorious
Bahrain Victorious is a UCI WorldTour professional cycling team registered in Bahrain and managed by Milan Eržen. The team was established in 2017 under the name Bahrain–Merida and became Bahrain Victorious in 2021. Over recent seasons, the team has developed a reputation for its strength in mountainous stage races and tactical depth across week-long tours and Grand Tours. Key riders include Pello Bilbao, Antonio Tiberi and Wout Poels. On this page you will find the team roster, latest results and upcoming races for Bahrain Victorious.
Full official team name and common short name
Team Bahrain Victorious; commonly “Bahrain Victorious” or “Bahrain”.
Team category and status
UCI WorldTeam in men’s road cycling, with automatic entry to all WorldTour events, including the three Grand Tours and the five Monuments.
Primary disciplines
Men’s elite road racing across Grand Tours, one‑week stage races and one‑day classics, with a strong tilt toward stage hunting, puncheur terrain and selective GC.
Country of registration and base location
Registered in Bahrain with a European service‑course and performance-based support to support a full WorldTour calendar.
Founding year and origin story
Founded in 2017 as Bahrain–Merida to showcase the Kingdom of Bahrain on cycling’s biggest stage; rebranded to Bahrain Victorious in 2021 to reflect a results‑first identity across Grand Tours and Monuments.
Current title sponsor and key partners (2026)
Title: Bahrain. Bikes: Bianchi (new for 2026). Groupset: Shimano Dura‑Ace Di2. Wheels: Vision. Tyres: Continental. Saddles: Prologo. Kit: Alé. Helmets/eyewear: Rudy Project/Scicon. Fully integrated, tubeless‑first setups with course‑specific pressure and insert strategies.
Previous team names and sponsor history
Bahrain–Merida (2017–2019), Bahrain–McLaren (2020), Bahrain Victorious (2021–present).
Flagship races targeted
Tour de France stages and jersey days, Giro and Vuelta stage wins with selective GC ambitions, and Monuments/WorldTour classics suited to puncheurs and rouleurs (Milan–San Remo, Paris–Roubaix, cobbled and Ardennes blocks).
What are the key achievements of Bahrain Victorious?
Paris–Roubaix (2021, Sonny Colbrelli). Milan–San Remo (2022, Matej Mohorič). Tour de France stage wins with Mohorič (2021, 2023), Pello Bilbao (2023) and Wout Poels (2023). Giro d’Italia podiums (Damiano Caruso 2nd in 2021; Mikel Landa 3rd in 2022). Multiple Grand Tour stage wins across all three tours, national titles, and WorldTour one‑day victories.
2026 roster
Bahrain Victorious lines up in 2026 with clear leaders and depth across every terrain. Matej Mohorič remains the reference for classics and stage hunting, while Pello Bilbao, Santiago Buitrago and the rising Antonio Tiberi headline Grand Tour and one‑week GC ambitions, with Damiano Caruso the mountain road captain who can still win from breaks. Attila Valter and Lenny Martinez add fresh GC and hilly classics upside.
For sprints, Phil Bauhaus is the finisher, backed by Nikias Arndt, Kamil Gradek, Mathijs Paasschens, Daniel Skerl and Matevž Govekar for positioning and lead‑outs, with Alberto Bruttomesso a developing fast man.
Alec Segaert brings TT power and northern classics bite; Rainer Kepplinger, Robert Stannard and Afonso Eulálio are reliable engines for break control and tough transition days. Young talent runs deep: Edoardo Zambanini and Pau Miquel on the climbs, plus Jakob Omrzel, Vlad Van Mechelen, Max van der Meulen, Alessandro Borgo, Žak Eržen and Oliver Stockwell giving the squad genuine future firepower.
Key alumni
Bahrain Victorious’ alumni underline the team’s rapid rise and breadth. Vincenzo Nibali closed his glittering career after delivering Grand Tour leadership and hallmark aggression in Bahrain colours, while Sonny Colbrelli’s 2021 Paris–Roubaix remains a defining victory before his premature retirement.
Mark Cavendish spent 2020 with the squad before rekindling his Tour story elsewhere; Rohan Dennis also passed through, bringing world‑class TT pedigree.
Dylan Teuns took marquee wins, including the Tour and La Flèche Wallonne, before moving on, and Jan Tratnik evolved into a key classics and TT force ahead of his transfer.
Jonathan Milan blossomed into a Grand Tour sprint and TT threat before his switch to Lidl–Trek. Franco Pellizotti capped his racing days here and transitioned into the team car. The late Gino Mäder, forever remembered, embodied the squad’s spirit with stage wins and mountain brilliance.
Together, they chart Bahrain’s evolution from ambitious newcomer to a WorldTour mainstay across Grand Tours, classics and sprints.
Key staff
Bahrain Victorious is led by general manager Milan Eržen, with long‑time tactician Gorazd Štangelj directing race operations.
A deep bench of assistant sports directors brings Grand Tour and classics know‑how to the team car: Roman Kreuziger and Franco Pellizotti add stage‑race and climbing experience; Enrico Gasparotto and Xavier Florencio sharpen Ardennes and one‑day tactics; Borut Božič and Nikolas Maes focus on sprint trains and positioning; Michał Gołaś and Aart Vierhouten reinforce northern classics craft; Vladimir Miholjević and Ioannis Tamouridis cover day‑to‑day race management and logistics; while Andrea Fusaz and Loïc Segaert contribute TT, pacing and performance detail. Together they provide clear leadership, meticulous preparation and calm decision‑making across Grand Tours, the spring classics and WorldTour stage races.