Florian Lipowitz reunited with old teammate as Red Bull add more climbing depth

Long before Lipowitz emerged as one of Germany's leading Grand Tour riders and Steinhauser made his breakthrough at the Giro d'Italia, the two raced together at Tirol KTM Cycling Team in 2020 and 2021.

Their careers have taken different routes since then. Lipowitz joined Bora-Hansgrohe and developed into one of the team's key stage race leaders, while Steinhauser stepped up to the WorldTour with EF Education-EasyPost in 2022. Now their paths will cross again.

Steinhauser has established himself as one of Germany's most exciting climbing talents in recent seasons. His biggest victory came at the 2024 Giro d'Italia, where he won a mountain stage with a memorable solo attack on the Passo Brocon. 

This season he added another major result by finishing third overall at Paris-Nice and taking the white jersey.

His arrival adds further depth to a Red Bull squad increasingly focused on the next generation. Remco Evenepoel and Lipowitz sit at the heart of the team's Grand Tour ambitions, while Giulio Pellizzari, Luke Tuckwell and Lorenzo Finn are among a group of highly rated young riders being developed around them.

For Red Bull, Steinhauser fits the profile of rider the team wants to develop further. Chief of Sports Zak Dempster believes the German still has plenty of room to grow.

"Georg combines climbing ability, race intelligence and an attacking mindset. He has earned his success through hard work over the past few years, and we believe he is still far from reaching his full potential. Together, we want to continue supporting his development and provide the best possible environment for him to take the next step in his career."

Steinhauser himself sees the move as an opportunity to continue that progression while returning to a German team, one he already followed when he was younger.

"When I was young, I was always a fan of this team and have been impressed by how they kept reaching one goal after another. Joining a German team with a very professional and international approach will certainly be a good platform for me to progress."

Steinhauser is the first new signing announced by Red Bull  for 2027, alongside the promotion of highly rated Italian talent Finn to the WorldTour squad. 

Their arrival comes as Primož Roglič prepares to leave the team at the end of the season. The Slovenian has been linked with a move to Pinarello-Q36.5, while Lotto-Intermarché has more recently emerged as another possible destination.