Starting with the 2025 season, Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe will launch a new U23 development team to fill the gap between the GRENKE - Auto Eder U19 and the WorldTeam. The new Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe Rookies will debut with, among others, four riders who previously raced for the junior team, including the new U19 World Champion, Lorenzo Finn. The team will be managed by Gregor Gazvoda, with an ambitious goal: to prepare young riders for the WorldTour while aiming for maximum success.
The four U19 riders who are already part of the Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe family are Theodor August Clemmensen (DEN), Paul Fietzke (GER), Lorenzo Finn (ITA), and Romet Pajur (EST). Clemmensen is a versatile rider, recently winning the Swiss stage race Grand Prix Rüebliland. Fietzke is a silver medalist in the road race at the 2023 U19 World Championships and a bronze and silver medalist at this year’s European Championships. Lorenzo Finn, the newly crowned junior world champion in the road race, will also be part of the team. Pajur, a fast-finishing allrounder, already raced for the Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe U19 team in 2022. As of now, the following riders are also confirmed: Adrien Boichis (FRA), Davide Donati (ITA), Lennart Jasch (GER), Marco Martín (ESP), Sebastian Putz (AUT), Callum Thornley (GBR) and Luke Tuckwell (AUS).
The new development team will be registered as a UCI Continental Team, riding under a German license. The team is managed by Grega Gazvoda, a former professional cyclist from Slovenia with years of experience both as a rider and in team management. Cesare Benedetti, a retired Italian cyclist and long-term member of the Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe family, and Pello Olaberria, a former Spanish professional with a background in development programs, will both join as Sports Directors.
John Wakefield, Director of Development at Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe:
“The leap from the U19 category straight into the WorldTour is a big one. With the new U23 team, we are creating a much smoother development process from U19 to the pro ranks. Just like the U19 team, the U23 squad will compete in the key races on the calendar, offering the best opportunities for growth. Next season, Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe will have the most complete and seamless talent development program in professional cycling.”
Seamless talent development from the U19 category to the WorldTour – that’s the goal of the new Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe development program. With the start of the Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe Rookies, the team is launching a cutting-edge talent development program to set the highest standards in professional cycling. In addition to the newly created U23 talent squad, the program will build on the success of GRENKE - Auto Eder, the world’s most successful U19 team. With an enhanced scouting unit, the goal is to discover and groom talent for a career in the WorldTour.
Photo: Joerg Mitter / Red Bull Content Pool