"We have to flip the German flag": why Remco Evenepoel immediately delivers at Red Bull
Both Remco Evenepoel and Arne Marit won their first race for Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, setting a standard for the entire team. The five-day Challenge Mallorca became one big celebration for Ralph Denk's German WorldTeam, which is aiming very high in 2026, especially thanks to the signing of Evenepoel. Why are the two able to excel immediately, and why is the team performing so well? 'Newbie' Marit shares his first impressions with our website.
1. (Wealthy) team in balance
Let’s not beat around the bush: capital in the WorldTour is directly proportional to the position on the UCI ranking. It largely contributes to the team's successes and appeal here. In 2026, the team is estimated to have a total capital of 50 million euros, a sum that has significantly increased since the beverage company invested. Only UAE Emirates XRG is richer.
"That’s why the team has been able to make very strong acquisitions. Remco didn’t come here just for the sake of it, and he now has a stronger climber core around him than ever before, with Giulio Pellizzari, Aleksandr Vlasov, Primoz Roglic, and Florian Lipowitz. And I might be forgetting a few," says Marit. "That climbing core is spot on. But the same goes for our sprint and classics squads."
Where the team a year ago still seemed loosely held together and sometimes felt like a collection of bought-in parts, that’s different now. "Someone like Vermeersch was maybe the 'missing' link in that classics core. He can, like no other, build a team and position well. But Remco can also fill that role. They now have the big leader they were looking for, but also the right riders around him."
2. Attention to detail and extensive staff
The budget also allows the team to invest more in details than others. That is an important pillar that Denk takes pride in. "Adding up all those details can, for me, be the difference between just winning and just missing out. But for Remco, it’s also about whether he reaches the level of Tadej Pogacar or not," says Marit. "I’m also curious where the limits really lie."
Finding an example is not difficult for the East Flander. "In Valencia, we have a 'food truck' with us. You’re no longer in a normal dining hall. The food is tailored, from leader to rookie. You don’t have to serve yourself anymore; it’s all pre-portioned. Everything is done for you on every level. Without it being a sacrifice for the rider to keep up with their nutrition, everything is optimized. In terms of recovery, endurance, and performance, you’re perfectly 'fueled'. "
But there’s more. Few teams have a staff as extensive and impressive as this one. The roles are divided in detail: Zak Dempster as Chief of Racing, Oliver Cookson as Head of Racing, John Wakefield as Director of Coaching, Dan Lorang as Head of Endurance, and Dan Bingham as Head of Engineering are some of the key figures behind the success. Marit: "They approach training a bit differently. They know how to handle equipment properly and are all among the best in their field."
With team Pogacar, you sometimes hear that riders need to push themselves harder in so-called 'zone 2' training. That’s only partially the case at Red Bull. "The focus is on training in the correct zone. It’s not that I always have to train specifically in 'zone 2'. It’s more that the training zones no longer overlap. Easy is easy, hard is hard. But in races, I immediately noticed that I have more endurance this way, go fresher into finishes, and maybe that’s why I could win that sprint," says Marit.
3. Real winning culture
If there’s one trait that defines team manager Ralph Denk, it’s that he finds it hard to accept defeat. "I already noticed that," laughs Marit. "As a rider, you don’t have much personal contact with Denk. Except for a good conversation during camp and a message after my win, it stays fairly superficial, as is often the case with big bosses. But he is very active in the WhatsApp group to motivate the guys, I noticed. He does that very well; it works very motivating."
And Denk is apparently not the only one doing that. "The climbers set a standard straight away in the team time trial in Mallorca and in the races with Remco by riding everything to the front. That set a trend. Afterwards, they started with the line: 'no pressure, but we expect nothing less than a double podium from you.' It’s meant as a joke, but it sinks in somewhere in your head."
Not in a negative way, Marit clarifies. It’s the classic story of the falling domino, which you also see at UAE Emirates XRG and previously at Quick-Step and HTC-Columbia. "The fact that you ride with such great champions on the team is a plus in every respect. Remco takes the pressure off by winning immediately, and that makes the other guys ride with less stress. Winning seems to come more naturally because you ride along with that momentum."
4. Feeling at home
Despite the team’s international character, Marit immediately feels at home. "I myself notice a lot of team spirit. Even a rookie like Alessio Magagnotti immediately gets a 'chapeau' from Remco in the WhatsApp group after his third place in his first pro race. Everyone is connected, and that gives a good feeling," says Marit.
Additionally, team leader Evenepoel brought along a familiar environment. Soigneur and cousin Dario Kloeck and sports directors Klaas Lodewyck and Sven Vanthourenhout, to name a few. "When you see that Maxim Van Gils, Jordi Meeus, and Gianni Vermeersch are also riding for the team, and that there are some Belgian staff members, you know that Remco and I can feel right at home. Having many countrymen isn’t a must; an international focus is good, but at the table during training camp, you often have cozy chats."
"We were already joking that we should just rotate the German flag of the team by a quarter turn and turn it into a Belgian one," chuckles the East Flanders sprinter. "No, seriously. It’s just very pleasant to be on the team. We all had a very good winter, everyone started fantastically, and we want to continue that momentum at the Tour of Valencia. Remco is going for the GC, I’m aiming for another win in the opening stage. I’m very optimistic."
