“We want to be the best in every way” – Ralph Denk holds back on Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe ambitions

“We want to be the best,” he said. “We want to be the best in all areas. We want to have sporting success, that’s the most important thing, but we also want to help more people get into cycling at all levels. We also want to make the sport better and have some fun. We think outside the box and maybe work on different types of cycling. Red Bull is also in mountain biking and gravel.”

In their quest to become the world’s number 1, it will be important to set up an academy – a feeder team where they can nurture emerging talent under the supervision of the team’s head coaches. For that purpose, a 12-name U23 squad will be funded by 2025. We can only expect the best young riders from both Auto Eder (Bora’s U19 project) and beyond to provide a foundation stone.

“The most important thing is to win and how you win, it’s not about nationality,” Denk explained. “Look at Red Bull in Formula 1. They are based in Austria but they are a global brand. I think they are happy to have Max Verstappen as their leader. We need to find the Max Verstappen of cycling. That’s our goal.”

“There are big changes coming,” Denk reiterated. “This is just the beginning. The deal was only signed in May. It is a step-by-step process, as always with my teams.” Red Bull now owns 51% of the team, but Denk will remain in charge of the German outfit for the time being. “Red Bull bought control of the team with a long-term plan. Their intentions are very serious and so are the team’s.”

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