Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe splits the Tour bet and reshapes its Grand Tour hierarchy

Allez TL;DR

By backing Remco Evenepoel and Florian Lipowitz together at the Tour de France – and sending Primož Roglič elsewhere – Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe reveal how they plan to manage power, risk, and ambition across the Grand Tours.

Story

At first glance, it reads like a routine announcement: a long list for the Tour de France, two leaders instead of one, and a tidy split of objectives across the season. Look closer, and Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe’s plan reveals something more deliberate – a rethinking of how leadership works inside a modern Grand Tour team.

By committing to co-leadership, the team leaves hierarchy unresolved by design. Remco Evenepoel and Florian Lipowitz bring contrasting profiles and trajectories, but instead of forcing an early pecking order, the team allows form and circumstance to shape authority once racing begins. It’s a strategy that prioritizes adaptability over certainty.

Just as telling is who isn’t part of the Tour narrative. Primož Roglič shifting his focus to the Vuelta a España isn’t a demotion, but a redistribution of responsibility. Rather than stacking ambitions into one race, Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe spread their leadership across the calendar, reducing internal friction while keeping a second Grand Tour firmly within reach.

Evenepoel’s season planning reinforces the same philosophy. A selective race program and a controlled build-up suggest a team comfortable delaying exposure in exchange for precision. Fewer appearances, fewer risks – and a sharper arrival when it matters most.

The long list itself matters less than what it enables. A mix of stage hunters, adaptable domestiques, and riders capable of surviving multiple race scenarios gives the team options rather than guarantees. This is a roster designed to respond to the Tour, not dictate it prematurely.

Why it matters

Co-leadership at the Tour is often framed as a compromise. Here, it looks like a calculated advantage. In an era where Grand Tours are increasingly decided by timing, depth, and adaptability, flexibility may matter more than a single fixed leader. Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe are betting that modern success comes from distributing authority – not concentrating it.

What to watch next

As the season unfolds, the key question won’t be who starts as leader, but who earns that role once the race begins.

In today’s Grand Tours, control isn’t declared in January – it’s negotiated on the road — Allez!