Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe 2026 Tour de France team guide: Evenepoel and Lipowitz spearhead dual GC assault

2025 Tour de France:

• 2025 Tour stage wins: 0
• 2025 Best GC finish: 3rd - Florian Lipowitz

2026 Objectives:

The German team bring two former Grand Tour winners, and three riders who have stepped on the podium of three-week races, and the aim is to reach the podium in Paris. 

Remco Evenepoel and Florian Lipowitz will share co-leadership in the GC, while Jai Hindley will play a support role after his recent third-place finish at the Giro d'Italia. 

“The Tour is no longer won by an exceptional rider alone, but by an exceptional team. We believe we are bringing one of the most complete squads to the start," said Zak Dempster, chief of sports at Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe.

"With Remco and Florian, we have two leaders who have already proven they can stand on the Tour podium. Their different strengths give us tactical options that could prove decisive.”

The strong supporting cast also includes Mattia Cattaneo, Nico Denz, Jan Tratnik, Tim van Dijke and Maxim Van Gils. 

"Every Tour develops its own dynamic, and with this team we have an answer to almost every possible scenario," added sports director Patxi Vila.

🇧🇪 Remco Evenepoel (26): Remco Evenepoel is without doubt one of the blockbuster names on the start list, lining up for his first Grand Tour since making the switch from Soudal Quick-Step to Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe in the winter. Things didn't go to plan from a GC perspective last summer, with Evenepoel fading out of contention before abandoning the race during the second week. The Olympic champion has opted for a different approach to his Tour preparation than most of his rivals, prioritising training over racing. He has not pinned on a race number since finishing third at Liège–Bastogne–Liège. With the strong time trial unit that Red Bull possesses, the yellow jersey could be a realistic early ambition for Evenepoel on the opening stage in Barcelona on July 4. Either way, the Belgian will be looking to reach the Tour podium at the end of the race, something he has proven he is capable of, having finished third in 2024, and will share co-leadership with Florian Lipowitz.

🇮🇹 Mattia Cattaneo (35): The experienced Italian made the switch from Quick-Step to Red Bull last winter alongside Evenepoel. Cattaneo is a strong climber and solid in the time trial. A former twelfth-place finisher at the Tour in 2021, Cattaneo will provide crucial mountain support.

🇧🇪 Maxim Van Gils (26): The 26-year-old Belgian faced a significant setback when a heavy crash in the final straight of the Clásica Jaén in February left him with a fractured shoulder and pelvis. However, he bounced back in June to win the first summit finish of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes from the breakaway. Van Gils described how he felt arguably in the shape of his life after spending time at altitude with Evenepoel.

🇩🇪 Nico Denz (32): The powerful German has fourteen Grand Tours under his belt, but this will mark just his second Tour de France. Denz was part of the Giro squad that supported Hindley to the final podium, and the three-time Giro stage winner's power will be key in protecting Evenepoel and Lipowitz. 

🇩🇪 Florian Lipowitz (25): Not many riders finish on the Tour podium and win the youth classification on debut, but that's exactly what Florian Lipowitz did last year. The German has been very solid in 2026, finishing runner-up at Itzulia Basque Country and the Tour de Romandie as well as third at the Volta a Catalunya in his opening block of racing. More recently, the German secured two stages and the GC at the Tour of Slovenia, as a final confirmation of his good form heading into July. Evenepoel's arrival in the team should also ease the pressure on Lipowitz's shoulders, as Red Bull will have multiple cards to play. Based on his performances this season, he'll be looking to score another podium finish in Paris alongside Evenepoel.

🇸🇮 Jan Tratnik (36): The veteran Slovenian is lining up for his twelfth Grand Tour and fourth Tour de France. Tratnik is a well-rounded machine who will thrive on both the flat roads, time trial and climbs, supporting Evenepoel and Lipowitz, and can even feature in breakaways if that becomes part of Red Bull's game plan.

🇦🇺 Jai Hindley (30): Fresh off finishing third overall at the Giro d'Italia, Jai Hindley lines up for his third Tour de France, having won a stage and worn yellow in the past. With Evenepoel and Lipowitz in the ranks, Hindley expressed his commitment to supporting the duo's GC ambitions when asked about the prospect of riding the Tour in Rome following his Giro podium. You'll be hard-pressed to find many mountain superdomestiques in the 2026 Tour with the pedigree of Hindley. 

🇳🇱 Tim van Dijke (26): The Dutch powerhouse enjoyed an excellent spring, including finishing second at Omloop Nieuwsblad, eleventh at the Tour of Flanders and making his mark at Paris-Nice. A fractured collarbone he suffered during an altitude training camp has kept him out of action since April, but if Van Dijke has returned to his spring form, he will be a valuable asset in his debut Tour.