Primoz Roglic welcomes Evenepoel to Red Bull-BORA - ‘He’s a special guy’

The Slovenian was back in action on Sunday at the criterium in Etten-Leur. It came after a demanding summer in which he withdrew from the Giro d’Italia on stage 16, then finished eighth overall at the Tour de France. In the third week of the Tour he enlivened the race with several attacks, showing flashes of his old aggression. Relaxed and smiling, he greeted the Dutch crowd before addressing the question everyone wanted answered: how does he see the arrival of Remco Evenepoel to Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe?

“Remco is a special guy, he’s already won some big races,” Roglič told In de Leiderstrui. “Hopefully we can achieve great things together.”

The remark was brief, yet telling. Red Bull-BORA’s decision to sign Evenepoel signals a clear shift in ambition, with the German squad looking to challenge the supremacy of Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogačar in three-week races.

Whether Roglič will ride alongside Evenepoel in next year’s Tour de France remains uncertain. “We’ve only just finished this year’s Tour… it’s far too early to make decisions about next season,” he said. “Whether I ride the Tour or not, I don’t know yet. First things first.”

Evenepoel could prove a crucial piece in Red Bull-BORA’s attempt to close the gap to cycling’s two dominant Grand Tour riders. “We need to see how we can compete with those guys,” Roglič admitted. “But it’s clear we still have steps to take to bridge that gap.”

Roglič’s comments follow a week in which team manager Ralf Denk and Florian Lipowitz’s coach, John Wakefield, also outlined their view of the blockbuster transfer. Both stressed that Evenepoel’s arrival is about more than just the Tour de France. Denk highlighted the Belgian’s potential across the calendar, from Monuments to Grand Tours, and admitted that leadership questions for the Tour will need to be settled internally.

Wakefield is convinced the addition of Evenepoel will raise the bar across the board. “You always want that type of rider on the team. When you bring more good riders on, the whole level of the team picks up," he said. “That effect filters all the way down to riders, to staff, to everyone. Having someone like that elevates everyone."

Roglič, Evenepoel and Lipowitz now form the core of a team with big ambitions. The question is if and how Red Bull-BORA will shape that trio into a unit capable of taking on Pogačar and Vingegaard.