Red Bull confident Evenepoel and Lipowitz will thrive together

It was well rumoured that this transfer was long going to happen, with long standing rumours through the 2024 season, flowing into the 2025 season where one of the biggest transfer's in recent years was confirmed with Ralf Denk stating on the Sport am Samstag 'The goal of the transfer is to push our project forward. Denk said 

'We are not just talking about the Tour de France, we are talking about much more. And, as you can already track today, the transfer of Remco Evenepoel to us [Red Bull] has had an enormous impact on our team. It was noticed in the media, and therefore we do not want to define it by a single race [The Tour]. We are proud to have such a rider in our ranks, someone who has already achieved so much at a young age, and in whom we believe there is still much more to come.' 

If you have somehow been living under a rock, Evenepoel is already a multi-world champion, grand tour winner, double Olympic champion, multiple monument winner amongst a wrath of others achievements. at just the age of 25.

The groundwork for this transfer was laid years ago. “It is no secret that we can go back to the Covid years, when I was already occasionally making approaches towards Remco Evenepoel, because I find him extremely interesting as a rider and also his career path, from footballer to cyclist,” Denk explained. “I have a very close relationship with him, and I would say we also work well together on a personal level. That is why I put everything into making this happen.”

The signing adds Evenepoel to an already stacked line-up that includes Primož Roglič, Florian Lipowitz, Dani Martínez, Aleksandr Vlasov, Jai Hindley and Giulio Pellizzari. It also raises questions about leadership at the Tour de France. Lipowitz, who joined the team as a stagiaire in 2022 and thrilled home fans with his third place at the 2025 Tour, now finds himself alongside two of the sport’s biggest names.

“That might be a race where we have to discuss things internally at some point,” Denk admitted. “This concerns the Tour de France, who would be our leader if we even decide to go with a one-leader strategy. But Remco is not here just for the Tour de France. He is here for many important one-day races, for the Classics, where he has also achieved his biggest successes.”

Lipowitz’s coach, John Wakefield, believes the team has the capacity to manage both stars’ ambitions. “There is enough racing to keep both of them happy,” he told Velo. “Florian’s attitude is, give me a good race program, let me do my thing, and away we go. He is excited to have Remco on the team.”

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."

He also emphasised that Lipowitz has never had a problem riding in support of others. “It was not a problem last year at the Vuelta with Primož. Florian just did his job. At this level, you are professional. You have a job to do, and you do it. And there will be other races where they will get their own opportunities.”

As for goals in Evenepoel’s first season in red and black, Denk was clear. “We definitely want to win a Monument. I think we will divide up the Grand Tours quite well. We want to win another Grand Tour at some point. We won the Vuelta last year with Primož Roglič, but we did not win the Giro or the Tour de France. At some point, we want to win another Grand Tour. We also want many victories, and I believe Remco Evenepoel can help us achieve that.”

As Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe enter a new chapter with Evenepoel, the goal is simple: channel the combined strength of their leaders into a season that delivers on all fronts.