Too many GC stars? Evenepoel move shakes up Red Bull - Analysis

Giulio Pellizzari and Florian Lipowitz, both still in their early twenties, delivered breakout Grand Tours that cemented their place in the sport’s next generation. Pellizzari, just 21, began the Giro d’Italia in support of Primož Roglič. When Roglič crashed out mid-race, the young Italian seized the opportunity and rode to sixth overall. Not bad for a rider who had joined the team only months earlier from the ProConti ranks at VF Group–Bardiani.

Lipowitz’s star rose even higher. The 24-year-old made his Tour de France debut and left with third place in the general classification, plus the white jersey. His poise and consistency marked him as more than just a talent - he’s a genuine contender.

That leaves Red Bull-Bora with a problem they didn’t have before: how do you fit Lipowitz and Remco Evenepoel into the same Tour team? They were rivals at the Dauphiné, and again - briefly - at the Tour. With both riders targeting yellow, the balance of power will need to be managed carefully. Throw in the fact that Lipowitz is German and Red Bull is a German-registered team, and the politics start to write themselves.

Pellizzari, by contrast, appears content to play the apprentice for now. He has openly spoken of learning from Roglič, and there are few better mentors for a young climber eyeing future Grand Tour success.

Evenepoel will not arrive alone. Mattia Cattaneo is expected to follow him from Soudal-QuickStep, and several staff members have already made the switch, including former national coach Sven Vanthourenhout.

More important, however, is the climbing support he’ll inherit. In Aleksandr Vlasov, Dani Martínez and former grand tour winner Jai Hindley, Red Bull-Bora can offer Evenepoel the kind of high-mountain artillery that was largely missing at Soudal-QuickStep, where Mikel Landa was his only real ally in the big hills.

On paper, it’s a significant upgrade. But paper doesn’t win Tours.

Evenepoel finished third in the 2024 edition, having come back from a brutal crash at Itzulia Basque Country that derailed his build-up. Another crash during winter training left him playing catch-up ahead of the 2025 season, and the consequences showed. He never fully looked himself at the Tour, and his abandon on the Tourmalet felt as inevitable as it was painful.

If 2026 offers a clean run - and that’s a big if - Red Bull-Bora are betting that Evenepoel’s ceiling remains higher than what we've seen so far.

Red Bull-Bora’s roster for 2026 has the feel of a fantasy team. In week-long stage races, they have the tools to contend on all fronts, at least on paper. Riders like Dani Martínez, Jai Hindley and Aleksandr Vlasov are all capable of podium finishes in events like Paris-Nice, Itzulia or the Dauphiné.

But with so many riders jostling for leadership, calendar space and internal priority, not everyone will get their shot.

This isn’t just about ability. It’s about egos, timing, and expectations - and the challenge of keeping multiple elite riders satisfied across a packed season.

There’s a clear parallel to football’s Galácticos era at Real Madrid in the early 2000s - a squad full of stars who dazzled individually, but failed to meet collective expectations. Red Bull-Bora may find themselves in a similar bind. When the talent pool is this deep, opportunity can quickly turn into obstruction.

Put simply: someone will have to sit out, or settle for support. And the question is if everyone will take that well.

When Primož Roglič joined Red Bull-Bora for the 2024 season, there was no ambiguity about the mission: win the Tour de France.

That goal has gone unmet - and not for lack of trying. His Grand Tour record since joining the team reads like a list of misfortunes. A crash forced him out of the 2024 Tour. Another, at the 2025 Giro, ended that campaign early too. Neither incident was fully his fault, but both proved costly.

That’s why simply finishing the 2025 Tour felt like a moral victory. Roglič didn’t race for the overall. He raced for the joy of it. He attacked on a whim, lifted the mood of the peloton, and reminded everyone why he remains one of the most watchable riders in the sport.

Now, with Remco Evenepoel’s arrival confirmed, the hierarchy is shifting again.

So where does that leave Roglič?

In truth, he remains exactly where he was - free to embrace the final years of his career, perhaps targeting one last shot at Giro or Vuelta success, which still feels well within reach. That would leave Evenepoel and Lipowitz to compete for Tour leadership.

Red Bull-Bora didn’t sign Evenepoel just to make up the numbers. This was a long-term pursuit, one that included buying out the final year of his contract and reshaping the team around his needs.

With Vanthourenhout now on board, Klaas Lodewyck expected to follow, and a deeper climbing unit at his disposal, all signs point to Evenepoel being the man in 2026. Lipowitz may have staked his claim, but this move was made with yellow in mind.

And so the selection headache begins. Co-leadership with Lipowitz in July looks like the most likely scenario, with Evenepoel as the senior partner. The Giro and Vuelta, meanwhile, will offer Red Bull-Bora the luxury of choice - and the risk of unrest.

In the end, this is what Red Bull bought into: pressure, scrutiny, and the pursuit of greatness. Now they just have to make it work.