First came Primož Roglič, then came Red Bull – could Wout van Aert and Remco Evenepoel be next for the bigger, bolder future version of Bora-Hansgrohe?
Reports out of German outlet Kicker and the nation’s DPA news agency indicate Bora-Hansgrohe is hunting two highly lucrative Belgian signatures for 2025 as it stampedes into partnership with energy drink behemoth Red Bull.
The news comes hot off the back of the horizon-shifting news that Red Bull – already a big investor in Formula 1, European football, and a range of extreme sports – acquired a controlling stake in the squad of Roglič, Jai Hindley, and Aleksandr Vlasov.
Red Bull managing director Oliver Mintzlaff indicated he’s got big ambitions for his cycling project starting in 2025 – and those aims would stretch far further than chasing the Tour de France with Roglič alone.
Kicker and DPA suggest those ambitions could be pinned on Roglič, Van Aert, Evenepoel, and maybe even more.
“Red Bull is to expand its involvement in road cycling and is aiming for a partnership with Bora-Hansgrohe,” a statement on the investment read earlier this month.
“By becoming a partner in team manager Ralph Denk’s operating company, Red Bull strives to complement the team’s portfolio of existing long-term main sponsors, who will remain on a long-term basis.”
Also read: Red Bull Buys Majority Stake of Bora-Hansgrohe
Reports Tuesday suggest all-terrain terror Van Aert and monument-grand tour crusher Evenepoel could bring some big-energy, high caffeine kick into Bora-Hansgrohe-Red Bull, or whatever it may be called, in 2025.
Van Aert already rides in a Red Bull helmet as a part of his personal affiliation with the brand and famously celebrated his stage-win at the 2022 Tour de France with a “gives you wings” celebration.
Tom Pidcock, Blanka Vas, Anton Palzer, and a handful more WorldTour pros are also partnered by the German-based brand, which also has its name in the Red Bull Junior Brothers feeder squad of Bora-Hansgrohe’s senior set-up.
Both Van Aert and Evenpoel are currently locked into long-term contracts with their respective squads.
Van Aert is signed to Visma-Lease a Bike through 2026, and Evenepoel is pinned to Patrick Lefevere’s Quick-Step crew for just as long as the Belgian team looks to take down the Tour de France.
Reports out of DPA this week suggest the super-duo are being courted for a move as early as next year, a transfer that would involve some big-money buyouts from Visma and Quick-Step.
Are the rumors a Red Bull flavor red herring or a potential reality?
A potential move to Bora-Hansgrohe would see Red Bull athlete Van Aert link up with his former coach Marc Lamberts, who followed Roglič from Visma to the German team this winter. The squad has a long history of classics success from the Peter Sagan era but more recently pivoted toward GC racing.
For Evenepoel, Bora-Hansgrohe’s use of the same Specialized bike supplier as his current Quick-Step squad would make for a key sweetener.
DPA reports Bora Hansgrohe could launch its ride into the Red Bull era with an all-new identity at the 2024 Tour de France.