Inside Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe – Tour de France Podcast (English Version)

In the current edition, Denk first reports on the 21st and final stage of the 2026 Tour de France. "The images and the race result were impressive. That was pure cycling. We should discuss using this format more often at the Tour and replacing one or two flat stages with it," says the 52-year-old. The team manager then looks back on the 2026 Tour de France. "It was my 13th Tour de France. We’ve al...

The current episode begins with the 21st and final stage of the 2026 Tour de France. “A spectacular finale – it had everything: a Pogacar at his limit, the sprinters fighting back, and an incredible Van der Poel,” is how the hosts sum it up. The Dutchman claims the stage victory he had dreamed of a year earlier, when he missed out on the finale. Sautter and Ruf then look back on the 2026 Tour de F...

In the latest edition, Denk reflects on Stage 20 of the 2026 Tour de France. “We’re extremely happy with the stage. The whole team did a fantastic job,” says the 52-year-old. “You can debate whether we should have brought Jai Hindley back earlier or whether Remco should have attacked sooner. But our primary objective was to secure second place in the overall classification. We could have taken mor...

A monument in cycling: The mountain finish at Alpe d’Huez – Part 1. This year, the myth is on the schedule twice. Stage 19 was all about the first victory on the famous summit. After the 21 switchbacks, Tadej Pogačar won. "Chapeau to him. That was really, really fast right from the start," says Ralph Denk, team manager of Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe. The top priority for his team was securing the podi...

In the current episode, Denk reports on Stage 18 of the 2026 Tour de France. "The mood in the team is good. That was a very good race from us. Our strategy was to wear out our rivals for the podium to a certain extent. That paid off, we are happy with the day," says the 52-year-old. A wave of illness is sweeping through Pogačar's team, and Denk empathizes. "It's tough when you have to go into the...

In the current episode, Denk reports on Stage 17 of the Tour de France 2026. "That was pure chaos today. A lot of different interests collided at once. It was about the Green Jersey, and many teams still have nothing to show for themselves," says the 52-year-old. Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe was represented in the breakaway by two riders. "Nico Denz had a free hand, but in the end, it was too hard for...

In the current edition, Denk reports on Stage 16 of the Tour de France 2026. "I feel massively sorry for Florian, but also for Remco. He put in a fantastic time trial, but naturally, we aren't really in a stage-winning mood," says the 52-year-old. Denk assesses Lipowitz's crash in clear terms. "Florian was riding absolutely at the limit, including on the previous descent. He was far too fast in th...

Remco Evenepoel wins the 15th stage of the Tour de France. The Plateau de Solaison marked the conclusion of the second week of the Tour de France. This time, the tough mountain finish was not for the dominant Tadej Pogačar. Instead, the Belgian from Team Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe was the fastest. "In today's man-to-man battle, he was simply the better rider," says Denk, who describes the success as...

As one of the toughest stages, the route to Le Markstein Fellering is on the Tour de France race calendar. Four climbs, three of them category one—a battle primarily for the general classification riders. In the end, Tadej Pogačar takes the victory. Remco Evenepoel and Florian Lipowitz lose a bit of time to the podium. "It was a hard stage and both of them fought brilliantly," says team manager Ra...

Breakaway riders, take note. On the long road to Belfort, many riders fancied their chances. The dominant Tadej Pogačar let them go, and so, at the end of Stage 14, the Swiss rider Mauro Schmid took the victory. Right there in the battle for the win: Maxim van Gils from Team Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe. In the end, he finished fourth. "The mood is a bit somber – but no blame on Maxim van Gils," says R...

Last chance for the sprinters on the way to Chalon-sur-Saône. This is what team manager Ralph Denk predicted, and that is exactly how it played out. After a flat stage, Tim Merlier won for the third time already following a frantic finale that included a crash. "He is the strongest sprinter this year," Denk acknowledges without envy. For his team, it was a relatively quiet day. "The mood is good....

In the latest edition, Denk reflects on Stage 11 of the 2026 Tour de France. “The way the stage unfolded was exactly what I expected, but not the finale. The fact that the sprint teams only managed to organize themselves so late is, for me, a clear indication that everyone is already completely exhausted. Normally, that happens much earlier,” says the 52-year-old. At Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, all r...

In the latest edition, Denk talks about the tenth stage of the 2026 Tour de France. "It was a very good day for us, and we are completely satisfied with the team's performance. In my opinion, the chasing group could even have caught Pogacar if they had worked together well," the 52-year-old said. "Remco invested an enormous amount during the decisive phase and almost paid a high price for it. He s...

In the latest edition, Denk reflects on the ninth stage of the 2026 Tour de France. “We expected a classic breakaway to form, but things turned out differently. We wanted Maxim van Gils to make that break and went all in right from the start. But the breakaway never really came together, so we spent our energy relatively early,” says the 52-year-old. “The fact that Remco and Florian were isolated...

In the latest edition, Denk reflects on the eighth stage of the 2026 Tour de France. "I expected a larger breakaway group. But in the end, we also lacked the crosswinds needed to make the race more difficult," says the 52-year-old. "We came through the stage well, and everyone in the team is fit. After eight days, that's by no means something you can take for granted," emphasizes the team manager....

In the current edition, Denk reports on the seventh stage of the 2026 Tour de France. "We saw a mass sprint in Bordeaux, which became apparent relatively early on. To be honest, I am a bit surprised by the passivity of some teams. In my opinion, those who don't have a general classification contender or an absolute top sprinter in their ranks should be risking much more," says the 52-year-old. "Wh...

Late at night and after an exhausting day, team manager Ralph Denk analyzes the sixth stage. With over 4,000 meters of climbing, the Col du Tourmalet, and a mountain finish, it was a brutal day at the office. An attack by Tadej Pogačar 42 kilometers before the finish put the top riders under intense pressure. "The pace was fast right from the start, and we made small mistakes," Denk says, referrin...

Team Manager Ralph Denk talks on the podcast about the fifth stage of the Tour de France, where everything was set up for a bunch sprint. A short route without much of a profile was under the continuous control of the sprinters' teams. In the end, Olav Kooij from Team Decathlon took the victory. "He is a big name. But I would have also loved to see the German Max Kanter win it on his Tour debut,"...

Team manager Ralph Denk talks on the podcast about the fourth stage of the Tour de France, which was once again dominated by the battle against the weather. This time in the spotlight: Jan Tratnik and Nico Denz, who both made it into the breakaway. "Actually, we wanted to get Maxim Van Gils into the group. But he didn't stand a chance. So we actually had a different goal – but you can't always get...

In the latest episode, Denk reflects on Stage 3 of the 2026 Tour de France. “It was incredibly hot today, which made the race extremely tough. The boss, Tadej Pogačar, was determined to win and was simply the strongest rider in the sprint,” says the 52-year-old. The team manager is particularly impressed by the development of co-leader Florian Lipowitz. “I remember last year when Florian was close...

In the current edition, Denk reports on the second stage of the 2026 Tour de France. "It was a really tough race from the very first minute. We would have liked to win, but we got our team leaders through safely. We are completely on track with both of them," says the 52-year-old. The day was somewhat dampened by a crash involving Maxim van Gils. "He crashed at the beginning of the stage and was a...

In the current edition, Denk reports on the first stage of the 2026 Tour de France. "The mood in the team is good. Winning the stage was the goal, but the result is certainly not the end of the world," says the 52-year-old, adding: "The team's homogeneity could have been a bit better, and we had already lost twelve seconds by the first intermediate time check. However, we managed to hold that gap,...

In the second part of the 2026 Tour de France preview, team manager Ralph Denk first looks at the race route. "It is a very balanced and tough Tour de France. I particularly like the start in a major metropolis, and the finish is also very well designed," says the 52-year-old. The focus then shifts to Saturday's opening stage. A team time trial is scheduled in Barcelona, where the fastest individu...

The first part of the 2026 Tour de France preview focuses on Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe. Team manager Ralph Denk first looks back on the season so far. "We’ve had a very successful season up to this point and are currently second in the world rankings. It’s good to already have some success under our belt before the Tour," says the 52-year-old. The second part centers on the roster for the 2026 Tour...

We are back! And we have a special episode of Inside Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe for you. Shortly before the Tour de France roster announcement, we talk with Bora boss Willi Bruckbauer and team manager Ralph Denk about the upcoming edition. This episode is not just about the Tour itself, but also about the special relationship between these long-time companions. Ralph and Willi have known each other f...