tour de france wout van aert 2023

Wout van Aert Bids Adieu to the Tour de France Ahead of Stage 18

The Jumbo-Visma rider is heading home to be with his wife as she gives birth to their second child.

Van Aert has been a crucial player in getting race leader Jonas Vingegaard where he is—comfortably ahead of Tadej Pogačar. We’ve seen him leading the breakaways and doing so much work for his team.

The Belgian rider has won 9 Tour de France stages in his career, but none this year—his first tour without a win. “I often had the legs to win a stage,” he said. “But it did not happen…I will always remember this Tour as the one where I called home every day.”

A nice reminder that there are a few things even more important than the Tour de France, and one of those things is family.

Without van Aert, Jumbo-Visma and Vingegaard will be leaning hard on Sepp Kuss. While it will make things a little more stressful, the team is no doubt grateful for all that van Aert was able to do thus far.

Rumors flew early in the tour that van Aert wouldn’t make it through the entire race. Now we know why. Both van Aert and Vingegaard were asked numerous times in interviews if Wout would be leaving. And numerous times they denied it. Clearly it was a day to day decision.

Van Aert said in the Jumbo-Visma video , "On the one hand, it's a strange feeling, but it's not a dilemma. It's an easy decision. I always thought that I would go home when my wife indicated she needed me. That time has come. So in that respect, it's not a dilemma.

Micah Ling is a freelance writer who lives in the mountains of Colorado. She splits her free time between mountain biking and trail running.

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Belgian ace Wout van Aert leaves Tour de France ahead of second child birth

Belgium’s Wout Van Aert climbs as the Mont Blanc is seen in the background during the sixteenth stage of the Tour de France cycling race, an individual time trial over 22.5 kilometers (14 miles) with start in Passy and finish in Combloux, France, Tuesday, July 18, 2023. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Denmark’s Jonas Vingegaard, wearing the overall leader’s yellow jersey, follows teammates Belgium’s Wout Van Aert, left, and Sepp Kuss of the U.S., second left, during the seventeenth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 166 kilometers (103 miles) with start in Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc and finish in Courchevel, France, Wednesday, July 19, 2023. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

Belgium’s Wout Van Aert climbs during the fifteenth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 179 kilometers (111 miles) with start in Les Gets Les Portes du Soleil and finish in Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc, France, Sunday, July 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

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MOUTIERS, France (AP) — Belgian allrounder Wout van Aert, a key teammate of Tour de France leader Jonas Vingegaard, has left the race to be with his wife Sarah ahead of the birth of their second child.

Van Aert, a versatile rider capable of winning on all grounds, has provided crucial support to Vingegaard since the start of the Tour. But because Vingegaard has opened a huge gap in the general classification with one tough mountain stage left, Van Aert’s presence was not deemed as essential.

“As everyone knows, Sarah is pregnant, things are starting to get a bit tight at home,” Van Aert said in a video published by his Jumbo-Visma team ahead of Thursday’s Stage 18. “In consultation with the team we have decided that my place is now at home.”

Van Aert added that leaving the race is “a strange feeling, but it’s not a dilemma.”

Vingegaard, the defending champion, dropped Tadej Pogacar in the last big stage in the French Alps on Wednesday to increase his overall lead to 7 minutes, 35 seconds. Barring any big crash, he looks set to win his second Tour title on Sunday.

Van Aert has nine career stage wins on the Tour, but none this month.

“I often had the legs to win a stage, but it did not happen,” he said. “But I will always remember this Tour as the one where I called home every day.”

AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Tour de France 2023 build-up: Remembering Wout van Aert's great triumphs

Wout van Aert is one of the best cyclists on the current scene and arrives at the Tour de France 2023 after having swept 2022 with stage victories, the green jersey and being key in the final victory of Jonas Vingegaard.

He hopes to repeat it this year (although he has already warned that he will not go for the points jersey this time). As an aperitif before the start of the Tour, we would like to take a look at his achievements throughout his career in road cycling .

"I haven't cycled in recent days, that doesn't make you a nicer person at home either" - Wout Poels Tour de France in doubt after illness puts halt to his preparations

In 2014, Van Aert began to make his mark by taking victory in the Tour of Liège, as well as winning two stages in the Tour of Liège. These early victories gave him a platform to showcase his potential as a cyclist.

In 2016, he continued his progression by winning a stage of the Tour of Belgium and the prestigious Schaals Sels race. These victories cemented his position as one of his country's most promising cyclists.

Mathieu van der Poel: "I want to ride my best Tour yet"

In 2017, Van Aert continued to rack up wins by taking the Tour of Limburg, the Bruges Cycling Classic and the Grand Prix Pino Cerami. These victories demonstrated his ability to compete in both one-day races and longer races.

In 2018, Van Aert took the Tour of Denmark in its entirety, as well as winning a stage in the same competition. He also achieved an outstanding third place at the European Road Championships, winning the bronze medal.

Merijn Zeeman on Sepp Kuss: "He is the only rider who is still uncertain about his place in the Tour"

2019 was another great year for Van Aert, who won two stages of the Critérium du Dauphiné and took the Belgian national time trial champion title. He also took third place in the Belgian Road Championships and won a stage of the Tour de France.

In 2020, Van Aert proved his dominance in classics and one-day races by winning Strade Bianche and Milan-San Remo. He also won a stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné and retained the Belgian national time trial champion title. In the Tour de France, he took two stages and finished second in the World Championships in both the time trial and road race.

The year 2021 was another stellar year for Van Aert, where he won two stages at Tirreno-Adriatico, the Ghent-Wevelgem classic, and the Amstel Gold Race. He also took the Belgian national road champion title and won three stages of the Tour de France. At the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, he won the silver medal in the road race. He also won the Tour of Britain in its entirety and won four stages.

Tadej Pogacar on Primoz Roglic and Remco Evenepoel: "If I were him, I would participate in the Tour de France"

In 2022, Van Aert continued his winning streak by winning the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, a stage of Paris-Nice, the E3 Saxo Bank Classic and two stages of the Critérium du Dauphiné. In addition, in the Tour de France, he took three stages and won the points classification and the combativity prize. He also won the Bretagne Classic.

In 2023, Van Aert has started the year with a victory in the E3 Saxo Classic, proving that his dominance in the classics and one-day races continues.

Wout van Aert has proven to be a versatile and well-rounded cyclist, capable of taking victories in a wide variety of terrains and competitions. His ability in the one-day races and his ability to compete in the grand tours make him an exceptional rider. With his impressive track record and undeniable talent, Van Aert has earned a prominent place in cycling history and continues to be a figure to watch in the world of sport.

Jonas Vingegaard on Roglic's Tour de France absence and Wout van Aert collaboration: "He has his own goals, I have mine"

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Wout van Aert leaves Tour de France to be with pregnant wife: 'It's an easy decision'

Bill Chappell

Wout van Aert is abandoning the Tour de France after learning that his pregnant wife's labor is "imminent." He's seen here earlier this week, ascending Saint-Gervais-les-Bains in the French Alps. Marco Bertorello/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Wout van Aert is abandoning the Tour de France after learning that his pregnant wife's labor is "imminent." He's seen here earlier this week, ascending Saint-Gervais-les-Bains in the French Alps.

The Tour de France will end in Paris in just a few days — but it will do so without one of its most exciting riders, as Wout van Aert quits cycling's biggest race to be with his wife, Sarah, who is expecting their second child.

"On the one hand it's a strange feeling but it's not a dilemma," Van Aert said in a video announcing his withdrawal. "It's an easy decision. I always thought that I would go home when my wife indicated that she needed me."

In this year's Tour, Van Aert has been a crucial ally of defending champion Jonas Vingegaard on Jumbo-Visma's eight-man team, using his unique strength and versatility to put pressure on Vingegaard's top rival, two-time winner Tadej Pogacar.

But Thursday's stage 18 began without Van Aert. He leaves this year's edition of cycling's landmark event without adding to his career nine stage wins. Van Aert said that while he had hoped to make it to Paris, he's been discussing a potential early exit with his team.

"I always thought that I would go home when my wife indicated that she needed me," the Belgian said. With the family's doctor assessing that labor is imminent, he said, "My place is now at home."

Van Aert, 28, said his teammates "are 100% behind me," and he's confident that they'll shepherd Vingegaard, who now has a comfortable lead of more than 7 minutes over Pogacar, to the podium in Paris.

This year's Tour de France brought a thrilling duel between Vingegaard and Pogacar, with the two most recent champions fighting for every second as the road race headed into its final week. But Vingegaard finally cemented his advantage in the Alps, in Tuesday's time trial and Wednesday's epic mountain stage.

For his part, Van Aert said, "I look back on this Tour in a positive way, but I will always remember this Tour as the one where I called home every day."

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Wout van Aert: "I didn't know what to do"

“I attacked hoping for a big breakaway to form. I’d rather be at the front than chasing in the peloton. In the end we were only three ahead and, as my radio was broken, I could not receive instructions from the car or information on how the race was unfolding. Until the team car did not reach my group, I did not know what to do. In the end, given the situation, the smartest thing was to stop and wait for the peloton. Of course, losing two teammates in one day will change our Tour de France. I don’t know how much we’ll have to change our strategy, but of course it will affect us. We’ve had a lot of bad luck today. But we were a strong team and we will continue to be a strong team. My crash next to Steven Kruijswijk? There was something on the road, someone slowed down in the peloton, Steven could not do it on time... and he went to the ground. It was a stupid fall. As soon as I got up, I saw that he had hurt himself. I waited a little while for him to try to get back together, but he couldn’t.”

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Tour de France 2023 : Wout van Aert, coéquipier du maillot jaune Jonas Vingegaard, abandonne pour rejoindre sa femme, sur le point d'accoucher

Un coéquipier de moins pour le maillot jaune Jonas Vingegaard . L'équipe Jumbo-Visma a annoncé, jeudi 20 juillet, que Wout van Aert quittait le Tour de France. Le 23e du classement général a décidé de rejoindre sa femme, Sarah, à l'occasion d'un heureux événement. "Avec l'équipe, nous avons convenu que ma place était désormais à la maison , a expliqué le Belge. Tout le monde sait que ma femme Sarah est enceinte. La naissance de mon enfant est imminente, c'est pour cela que nous avons pris cette décision."

🇫🇷 #TDF2023 @WoutvanAert has left the Tour de France to be with his wife Sarah who will give birth to their second child soon. More in the interview recorded yesterday morning. 🎥 pic.twitter.com/WWA7uoCVz4 — Team Jumbo-Visma cycling (@JumboVismaRoad) July 20, 2023

Wout van Aert a prévenu ses coéquipiers lors du dîner de la veille, mercredi. "C'est un sentiment étrange [de quitter le Tour de France], mais ce n'est pas un dilemme. C'est une décision facile à prendre. J'ai toujours pensé à rentrer à la maison dès que ma femme me dirait qu'elle avait besoin de moi. Ce moment est arrivé. Je l'ai annoncé à mes coéquipiers au dîner hier soir. Ils ont tous compris ma décision et sont à 100% derrière moi. Ils vont faire le travail sur la fin du Tour de France, tout va très bien se passer" , a expliqué le Belge dans une vidéo.

Lauréat du classement du maillot vert l'an dernier sur la Grande Boucle pour la première fois de sa carrière et déjà vainqueur de neuf étapes sur cette épreuve, le Belge n'a pas réussi, cette année, à lever les bras sur le Tour. Mais sa formation Jumbo-Visma est en position idéale pour remporter une deuxième fois de suite le Tour de France avec Jonas Vingegaard, leader de la Grande Boucle avec 7'35 d'avance sur son dauphin, Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates). 

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Wout van Aert: Tour de Force

Part of this story

Wout Van Aert

A winner of uci cyclocross world cup series title in 2021, belgian rider wout van aert also is also a regular stage winner on the tour de france..

The only way to discover the limits of the possible is to go beyond them into the impossible. Arthur C. Clarke

“The biggest thing is that I never limited myself."

© GIANFRANCO TRIPODO

Every year that van Aert has ridden the Tour, a teammate has finished on the podium.

Van Aert trains with the Jumbo- Visma squad.

© Gianfranco Tripodo

It’s the biggest race in the world and you can feel it on everything.

Van Aert won the green jersey last year, awarded to the best sprinter.

© Getty Images

van Aert in the green jersey—awarded to the top sprinter.

“Doing something special means more to me than trying to win.”

Van Aert on Stage 4 of the 2022 Tour de France.

© Getting Images

Cruise into these stories

Power Broker: Justin Williams

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Tour de France: Wout Van Aert steigt vor 18. Etappe aus Frankreich-Rundfahrt aus - Geburt des zweiten Kindes

Update 20/07/2023 um 13:58 GMT+2 Uhr

Radstar Wout van Aert hat vor Beginn der 18. Etappe am Donnerstag die Tour de France verlassen. Das teilte sein Team Jumbo-Visma auf Twitter mit. Grund dafür ist die anstehende Geburt seines zweiten Kindes - van Aert hatte einen möglichen Ausstieg aus der Frankreich-Rundfahrt aus diesem Grund bereits vor Beginn des Rennens angekündigt. "Es wird langsam ein bisschen eng", sagte er im Interview.

Van Aert erklärt Tour-Aus: "Mein Platz ist jetzt zu Hause"

Faire Geste: Vingegaard erklärt das Warten auf Rivale Pogacar

Update 20/07/2023 um 17:11 Uhr

Geschkes Kampfgeist belohnt: Sieg im Kampf gegen Zeitlimit

Pogacar: "I am f... Ich bin tot, völlig am Ende"

Update 19/07/2023 um 20:27 Uhr

Pogacars Leistung von Herpes beeinflusst? Teamarzt klärt auf

Update 19/07/2023 um 17:50 Uhr

Van Aert nach Sturz wieder auf dem Rad: Superstar gibt Update

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Tour de France 2023: Wout van Aert speaks on rumours of Jumbo-Visma tensions - 'We laugh about it'

Updated 03/07/2023 at 13:05 GMT

The conclusion to Stage 2 of the Tour de France saw Wout van Aert react angrily as he was beaten by Victor Lafay. Van Aert threw a bottle to the ground, but rebuffed rumours of a split inside Jumbo-Visma after some had questioned whether Jonas Vingegaard had done all he could to deliver his teammate to the line. Eurosport's Philippe Gilbert said he feels it is "exaggeration" from the media.

'It's exaggeration from the media' - Gilbert on van Aert reaction at end of Stage 2

Van Aert 'happy to be back training outside' just four weeks after horror crash

23/04/2024 at 18:59

• Pogacar says wrist 'sore' but hails 'perfect situation'

'We laugh about it' - Van Aert dismisses Jumbo-Visma tension rumours

'Wout can't be angry at him for that' - Blythe and Breakaway team on Jumbo-Visma tensions

Watch Van Aert throw his bottle down in frustration at end of Stage 2

'Now it's time to fully recover' - Vingegaard released from hospital after crash

16/04/2024 at 15:30

'I cannot train at all' - Injured Van Aert withdraws from Giro d’Italia

11/04/2024 at 14:29

Vingegaard 'a little bit better every day,' says Visma boss, also issues Van Aert update

07/04/2024 at 12:49

Wout van Aert hopes for 'another step forward' ahead of Tour de France

Belgian set for duel with Remco Evenepoel at Belgian time trial and road race Championships

Wout van Aert ’s consistency across the Tour de Suisse netted him the points classification but the Belgian has said that he still has margin for improvement ahead of the Tour de France.

The Tour de Suisse was Van Aert’s first race since he placed second at Paris-Roubaix in April, and it came after he had spent an extended period training at altitude at Sierra Nevada and in Switzerland. The Belgian will be a key element in Jumbo-Visma’s Tour squad as Jonas Vingegaard looks to defend his 2022 yellow jersey.

“I reached a good level during the week – maybe not my very best level yet, but I hope to take another step forward in the next two weeks by taking some extra rest,” Van Aert said, according to Het Laatste Nieuws . “I needed the incentive of racing to gain sharpness.”

'Focused on commotion' - Wout van Aert critical of Netflix Tour de France series

Wout van Aert takes higher road towards Tour de Suisse return

The Tour de Suisse was overshadowed by the tragic death of Gino Mäder, and Van Aert acknowledged that thoughts of building pre-Tour form were put to one aside in recent days.

“Sport is less important for a while, so I don't know exactly where I stand,” Van Aert said. 

“These have been difficult days. There was a distinct atmosphere, which made it difficult to continue in the same way. I'm looking forward to going back home and getting out of the racing world for a while.”

The race was bookended by individual time trials. After placing third behind Stefan Küng and compatriot Remco Evenepoel on the opening day, Van Aert had to settle for fifth in the longer, hillier test to Abtwil on the final stage on Sunday.

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“The feeling was good, but not special,” Van Aert said. 

“At the top of the climb, I wanted to press on, but it was difficult for me. Even without knowing my split times, I already had the feeling that it would not be enough. It went well, but I had hoped to be able to manager things a little better.

“I always start to win in a time trial, so it's always sobering when you don't win. But I think it is better to wait a while before drawing conclusions about how far behind my competitors I am.”

Van Aert returns to action later this week at the Belgian National Championships, where he will line out in the individual time trial on Thursday and the road race on Sunday. In addition to his five Belgian cyclocross titles, Van Aert was Belgian road champion in 2021 and he won the national time trial in 2019 and 2020. 

“I'm looking forward to it, the Belgian tricolour is a nice jersey,” he said. “I have already worn it a few times and will definitely try to conquer it again.”

Van Aert’s chief rival in both the time trial and road race this coming week will surely be Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep), who was also in action at the Tour de Suisse. 

The world champion placed third overall after winning the penultimate stage to Weinfelden and placing second in the final time trial.

“I came here knowing that I wasn't in great shape, but I managed to take a stage win and finish on the podium of this important race, which is good in the end,” said Evenepoel, who was making his first competitive appearance since he abandoned the Giro d’Italia with COVID-19 in May.

Evenepoel has already confirmed that he will not ride the Tour. He is scheduled to take in a training camp in the Val di Fassa in the Italian Dolomites in July in preparation for the World Championships in Glasgow, with the remainder of his 2023 programme yet to be decided.

“That's where we'll look at how my second half of the season goes,” Evenepoel said of his Italian sojourn. 

“But I can already say that I'll be taking part in San Sebastian and the World Championships.”

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Barry Ryan is Head of Features at Cyclingnews. He has covered professional cycling since 2010, reporting from the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and events from Argentina to Japan. His writing has appeared in The Independent, Procycling and Cycling Plus. He is the author of The Ascent: Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche and the Rise of Irish Cycling’s Golden Generation , published by Gill Books.

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BORA-hansgrohe Shuts Down Rumors on Van Aert and Pidcock Signings

R umors have been swirling that German team BORA-hansgrohe is interested in pursuing multi-discipline superstars Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Tom Pidcock (INEOS Grenadiers).

And now, with BORA-hansgrohe’s addition of energy drink brand Red Bull—who have separate deals with both Van Aert and Pidcock—to the team’s ownership and sponsorship ranks, those rumors have hit a fever pitch.

BORA-hansgrohe team boss Ralph Denk has publicly responded to those rumors, saying that his team will respect van Aert and Pidcock’s contracts with Visma-Lease a Bike and INEOS Grenadiers, respectively.

“Normally, we don’t respond to rumors. The Red Bull deals with van Aert and Pidcock are separate from Red Bull’s partnership with BORA-hansgrohe,” Denk told the Belgian sports outlet Sporza .

“We have a partnership with Red Bull headquarters in Austria,” Denk added. “Van Aert and Pidcock have deals with Red Bull Belgium and Red Bull UK, respectively. We haven’t talked about them in our meetings yet. In addition, van Aert and Pidcock have long-term contracts. We respect them.”

Those long-term contracts Denk referred to will keep van Aert with Visma-Lease a Bike through 2026 and Pidcock with INEOS Grenadiers through 2027.

Earlier this year, the Austrian energy drink manufacturer signed a deal with BORA-hansgrohe, acquiring fifty-one percent of the team’s shares. The purchase infused the outfit with a major financial boost, which led to the rumors of them going after such high-profile names.

“We have already had many brainstorming sessions with Red Bull, and there will be many more to come,” Denk said. “But the signatures under the collaboration with Red Bull were only signed at the end of April. Our partnership with Red Bull is, therefore, less than a month old.”

Another name that has been linked to Denk’s team is Soudal Quick-Step’s young Belgian star Remco Evenepoel , who would, in theory, take the role of GC guy when BORA’s deal with thirty-four-year-old Primož Roglič runs out in 2025.

“Remco is an interesting rider,” Denk said. “It is always better to have him by your side than to have him opposite you. But I can confirm that there is certainly no deal with Remco. Rumors are part of the game. But just like van Aert and Pidcock, Evenepoel has a long-term contract with Soudal Quick-Step. For our part, we will respect that contract.”

Evenepoel’s contract keeps him with Soudal Quick-Step through 2026.

In a move that will no doubt add more fuel to the fire, Denk was candid about his ambitions for his team going forward, outlining just how much winning the Tour de France means to him. “Winning the Tour de France drives me every day. That’s no secret,” Denk said. “After the departure of Peter Sagan, we focused on Grand Tours. We won the Giro two years ago with Jai Hindley, a very nice achievement.”

This year, BORA-hansgrohe hopes to exorcise the demons that still linger from Roglič’s absolutely devastating 2020 Tour de France loss , when, riding for Visma-Lease a Bike, he held the yellow jersey until the penultimate stage, where Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) snatched it away.

Roglič’s hopeful ride to redemption begins in Florence in just a few weeks. There, he’ll be supported by climbers Hindley and Aleksandr Vlasov.

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What will Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe Look Like? Blue Kits but No Pidcock, Van Aert for Incoming Mega-Team

Officials rule out imminent arrival of pidcock, van aert, evenepoel as hype builds for red bull's arrival at the tour de france: 'winning the tour drives me every day'.

Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! >","name":"in-content-cta","type":"link"}}'>Download the app .

It seems that Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe won’t go stampeding into other squad’s paddocks as more details emerge of how the mega-herd might look after it launches into the 2024 Tour de France .

Bora-Hansgrohe ‘s general manager and founder Ralph Denk reconfirmed the big budget bought by the energy drink monolith won’t hand the reconfigured team a free pass to superstar Red Bull-backed riders Wout van Aert and Tom Pidcock .

“Van Aert and Pidcock have long-term contracts. We respect those contracts,” Denk this week told Sporza .

The news is the latest of the puzzle pieces that are clicking together ahead of a landscape-shifting moment for pro cycling.

Red Bull will officially enter the sport with Bora-Hansgrohe at the Tour de France next month as it looks to give Primož Roglič the “wings” needed to win a yellow jersey.

It will mark the first step for a squad that’s been slated with the potential to top the team budget rankings and the ability to re-market pro cycling all together.

Images leaked last month indicate the squad will race in a Max Verstappen-shade of blue.

The deep blue uniform and large Red Bull logo of the apparel leaked to an Austrian media outlet echoes Red Bull’s F1 racing team livery, and indicates a complete pivot from the green-vibed identity of Bora-Hansgrohe.

Elsewhere, Denk told German outlet Sportshau that long-signed climber and GC journeyman Emanuel Buchmann will leave in 2025 after his high-profile spat with the squad.

Giulio Pellizzari, the young Italian climber praised by Tadej Pogačar at the Giro d’Italia, is rumored to be coming in for the new year in what will likely be a slate of new signings for the monied-up new superteam.

Jan Tratnik, Oier Lazkano, and Laurence Pithie are all reportedly on the team’s hit-list.

Today’s La Gazzetta Dello Sport ️ reports promising climber Giulio Pellizzari (VF-Bardiani-Faizanè) is joining Bora-hansgrohe next year — the Inner Ring (@inrng) May 5, 2024

However, Van Aert, Pidcock, and Remco Evenepoel won’t be three of those new signings for 2025.

Denk indicated Red Bull’s individual deals with Pidcock and Van Aert won’t give him an open door to the two multi-discipline riders, who are signed through 2027 with Ineos Grenadiers and 2026 with Visma-Lease a Bike, respectively.

“The Red Bull deals with Van Aert and Pidcock are separate from Red Bull’s partnership with Bora-Hansgrohe,” Denk told Sporza .

“We have a partnership with Red Bull headquarters in Austria,” Denk continued. “Van Aert and Pidcock have deals with Red Bull Belgium and Red Bull UK respectively.”

Denk also blew back long-circulating rumors about Evenepoel, who has been repeatedly linked to the squad.

“Remco is an interesting rider. It is always better to have him by your side than to have him opposite you,” he said. “But I can confirm that there is certainly no deal with Remco.”

Evenepoel, who lines out alongside Roglič next week at the Critérium du Dauphiné  ahead of their respective assaults on the Tour de France, is signed with Soudal Quick-Step until 2026.

“Rumors are part of the game,” Denk said. “But just like Van Aert and Pidcock, Evenepoel has a long-term contract with Soudal-Quick Step. For our part, we will respect that contract.”

Bora-Hansgrohe chief Denk: ‘Winning the Tour drives me every day’

Red Bull acquired a majority 51 percent stake of Denk’s squad earlier this season in a move some suggested could reconfigure the sport.

The energy drink giant could make the team the most monied in the sport. It will bring marketing and content expertise to rival any external Netflix crews or in-house documentary teams.

“We agree with all parties we don’t talk about real numbers in budget, but it’s a good one. I am proud of that,” Denk said earlier this year.

Denk said last month that the Tour de France is the Red Bull project’s North Star but also indicated the team won’t buy its way to the famed maillot jaune by poaching riders like Evenepoel, Van Aert, or Pidcock.

“Winning the Tour de France drives me every day. That’s no secret,” manager Denk reasserted to Sporza this week.

“After the departure of Peter Sagan, we focused on grand tours. We won the Giro d’Italia two years ago with Jai Hindley, a very nice achievement.”

Despite slow Paris-Nice start, Primož Roglič and his pursuit of Tour de France glory is raising game at Bora-Hansgrohe: ‘We absolutely buy into it.’ https://t.co/R7Zu4LbB3d — Velo (@velovelovelo__) March 14, 2024

“Project Tour de France” begins apace for Bora-Hansgrohe next week at the Critérium du Dauphiné.

Roglič will parachute down from an altitude camp at Sierra Nevada to lead Bora-Hansgrohe next week after he struggled to get his motor running this spring.

The veteran Slovenian will be backed at the eight-stage Dauphiné by superdomestiques Jai Hindley and Alexander Vlasov in what will make for a dry-run ahead of the Tour de France.

Expectations at Bora-Hansgrohe HQ will be high after Daniel Martínez recently rode to a breakout best-of-the-rest second place at the Giro d’Italia behind Pogačar.

Roglič, Evenepoel back in action in key Tour de France test at Dauphiné — will they be ready to race for the win? Sepp Kuss might have something to say about that. https://t.co/sjSWJ18lXm — Velo (@velovelovelo__) May 24, 2024

2024 is just the start

Roglič, Martínez, and Hindley represent Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe’s ambitions in the short term, and there’s no Van Aert, Pidcock, or Evenepoel in the medium-term.

But Red Bull isn’t just some passing sponsor. It’s a part-owner.

Anything might be possible for Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe in the long-term.

“We have already had many brainstorming sessions with Red Bull and there will be many more to come,” Denk said.

“The signatures under the collaboration with Red Bull were only signed at the end of April,” he said. “Our partnership with Red Bull is still less than a month old.”

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