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

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...

In the final edition covering the 2025 Tour, Denk reports on the last stage in Paris. “The images were spectacular, no doubt about that. Still, I’m more of a fan of the traditional Paris finish – and many riders told me the same,” says the 51-year-old. The team’s mood at the closing celebration was cheerful, as Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe looks back on a successful Tour de France. “It was an incredibl...

In the current issue, Denk reports on stage 20 of the 2025 Tour de France, where the team did everything it could to secure Florian Lipowitz’s third place. “Today was pure stress again,” says Denk, who already “had a bad feeling” at the start. “Many riders were well warmed up to launch early attacks, so we saw lots of breakaway groups, and it turned into a really tough race — thankfully, we came t...

In the current issue, Denk reports on stage 19 of the 2025 Tour de France, where Florian Lipowitz secured a podium finish in the mountains. “It was very emotional for the whole team,” says Denk, referring to the final two kilometers. “He has nerves of steel and did a fantastic job.” Stage 20 returns to hilly terrain. Over the 184 kilometers to Pontarlier, there shouldn’t be major changes in the ge...

In the latest episode, Denk talks about Stage 18 of the 2025 Tour de France. “The result doesn’t look good on paper. On the other hand, we could have even won the stage today. We want to offer exciting cycling – and we did that today,” says the 51-year-old. In the general classification, Lipowitz now holds only a 22-second lead over Oscar Onley, raising questions about Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe’s ta...

In the latest edition, Denk reflects on Stage 17 of the 2025 Tour de France. “The stage win was within reach today. Jordi waited just a tick too long in the final sprint, the top speed was there. He’s really frustrated that it didn’t work out,” said the 51-year-old. Before the stage, Danny van Poppel left the race as he became a father for the first time. “Danny witnessed the birth via FaceTime la...

In the latest episode, Denk reflects on Stage 16 of the 2025 Tour de France. “We’re very satisfied – the whole team did a great job today,” says the 51-year-old. The team manager had special praise for Primoz Roglic. “Today clearly showed the kind of class Primoz still has, even at 36. He keeps getting better – not everyone can say that,” Denk analyzes. In the background segment, he answers variou...

In the current edition, Denk reports on Stage 15 of the 2025 Tour de France, where the breakaway riders got their chance. "It was a stage where you can give something back to the domestiques. We gave Alexander Vlasov the green light to go with the break," says Denk. In the end, the Russian rider finished sixth. However, it took a long time before a breakaway group was finally established. "It was...

In the latest episode, Denk reports on Stage 14 of the 2025 Tour de France and addresses the withdrawal of superstar Remco Evenepoel. “Quitting the Tour de France is painful—you prepare for so long and then you're out. But it's part of it,” says Ralph Denk. He was pleased with Florian Lipowitz’s performance. “He had no instructions to go with it—but he handled it really well,” notes the team manag...

In the latest episode, Denk reports on the thirteenth stage of the 2025 Tour de France. After the mountain time trial, the team manager was pleased. “That was outstanding from Primoz Roglic, especially after he hasn’t always been treated fairly in the media. But Florian did very well too.” The German rising star is just six seconds shy of the podium, which still features Remco Evenepoel in third....

In the latest episode, Denk reports on the twelfth stage of the 2025 Tour de France. “We placed Florian and Lipowitz in the second group, and that was the foundation. Florian then proved to be the strongest rider and was told he could ride for it,” says the 51‑year‑old. Despite Lipowitz’s strong performance—he’s fourth in the GC and clearly ahead of Roglic—Denk is not committing to a captain choic...

In the latest edition, Denk reports on the eleventh stage of the 2025 Tour de France. "Florian Lipowitz did a great job again today, and Primoz Roglic was well-positioned on the final climb. The team handled it excellently," said the 51-year-old. Instead of a relaxed roll towards the Pyrenees, it was another very eventful stage. "The Tour de France is becoming increasingly aggressive. The stages a...

In the latest episode, Denk talks about Stage 10 of the 2025 Tour de France. “The performance of Florian and Primoz was very encouraging. We managed to keep the gap to the podium in check and can head into the rest day feeling optimistic,” says the 51-year-old. The team manager also puts the emerging criticism of designated climbing domestique Aleksander Vlasov into perspective. “You shouldn’t rea...

In the latest episode, Denk talks about the ninth stage of the 2025 Tour de France. “The team did a good job today. When the wind picked up, our leaders Primoz Roglic and Florian Lipowitz were perfectly protected,” says the 51-year-old. Looking ahead to the summit finish on Monday, Denk puts his GC leaders on the same level. “Both will get our full support. They’re only a few seconds apart and the...

In the latest episode, Denk talks about the eighth stage of the 2025 Tour de France. “Our sprinter Jordi Meeus is struggling with the massive consequences of his crash. With that kind of pain and such a torn-up shoulder, he can’t win races, but we’re hoping for his ability to recover,” says the 51-year-old. He is critical of the rather uneventful weekend ahead at the Tour. “I don’t quite understan...

In the latest episode, Denk talks about the seventh stage of the 2025 Tour de France. The team manager was not satisfied with the finale. “We had no helper left at the end. Florian Lipowitz and Primoz Roglic were on their own. That was really unfortunate for us,” Denk sums up. He specifically called out Alexander Vlasov. “This is actually his kind of terrain. We need to discuss why he couldn’t sta...