Four-time winner Primož Roglič’s GC hopes will play second fiddle to stage wins, Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe have said when announcing their team for the upcoming Vuelta a España.
Rather than commit to chasing a fifth red jersey for Roglič, the German squad are hoping New Zealander Finn Fisher-Black and Jordi Meeus can bag at least one stage win between them.
Having won the red jersey on four occasions between 2019 and 2024, Roglič is the joint record holder with Roberto Heras, but his hopes for a fifth title took a blow when he was hit by a car driver in training last month. Rather than directly support the Slovenian's bid for a fifth title, Red Bull will assess him through the race.
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Roglič's build up for the Spanish Grand Tour has been far from ideal, the 39-year-old forced to withdraw from the Clásica San Sebastián and Vuelta Burgos after his training crash. That means he has not raced since the Slovenian national championships, where he won the time trial title, so far his only win of 2026.
Now one of the peloton’s elder statesmen, Roglič has a stellar palmarès, not only winning the Vuelta on four occasions, but also the Giro d’Italia in 2023 and a host of other shorter stage races. However, he appears to be in the autumn of his career and his future in the sport into 2027 remains in question, with rumours of a move to Lotto-Intermarché.
"The team will support Roglič in his ambitions for the GC, although these will still need to be assessed progressively, after his Vuelta preparations were disrupted by his recent crash. Stage victories form the other central objective," a statement read.
"I have a very good history with the Vuelta and I always enjoy racing there,” Roglič said in the team’s press release. "Winning it four times is already something I could never have imagined, so I don't want to put extra pressure on myself. We will take it day by day, do everything we can as a team and try to achieve the best possible outcome. I’m looking forward to it."
My view
Red Bull are right not to put everything behind Primož Roglić’s bid for a fifth Vuelta red jersey, to do so would be a gesture of sentimental folly.
Be in no doubt, Roglič is one of the preeminent stage racers of the current era, he has five Grand Tour titles to his name and has won almost all the one-week stage races on the WorldTour calendar, but he’s not the rider he was.
It’s not just the crash that has hindered his prep, time waits for no one, and he’s clearly on the way down, and let’s face it, despite his Vuelta experience, he’s unlikely to beat Tadej Pogačar.
It’s still a risky strategy for Red Bull, stages are hard to win, and while Fisher-Black is an excellent rider, outside the New Zealand nationals he’s not won for two years. Meeus could be the better prospect for success, he’s had a good year so far, though while there aren’t too many top sprinters in the race, he’ll still need to get past Matthew Brennan and Wout van Aert.
Fisher-Black is riding his third Vuelta and will be looking to take his chances on the lumpier days, while Jordi Meeus will be supported in the sprint stages. Both Luke Tuckwell and Callum Thornley are included in the roster and will be racing their first Grand Tours, while their inexperience is offset by veterans Gianni Vermeersch and Gianni Moscon. Danish rider Frederik Wandahl completes Red Bull’s roster.
"Our main goal is to win a stage, and hopefully more than one if the opportunities are there," said the team’s lead sports director Sven Vantourenhout.
"Our second major objective is the GC with Primož, but we have to be realistic because his preparation has been very different from what we originally anticipated after his crash. We will assess things step by step. We will support him to achieve the best possible GC result, but we also have to be ready to adapt if necessary."
Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe for the 2026 Vuelta a España
- Primož Roglič
- Jordi Meeus
- Gianni Moscon
- Frederik Wandahl
- Finn Fisher-Black
- Luke Tuckwell
- Callum Thornley
- Gianni Vermeersch
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