<h1>&nbsp;</h1><h1>PRESS SECTION</h1>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

<h4>Stefan Flessner</h4><h4>Phone: +49 160 97389899</h4><h4>E-Mail: <a href="mailto:press@bora-hansgrohe.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">press@bora-hansgrohe.com</a></h4>&nbsp;

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A new name, eye-catching outfits, helmets designed to fit the Red Bull athletes' look, bikes with a shiny metallic white silver design. Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe has arrived in the world of cycling, bringing a fresh style to the peloton. The new look makes it clear that today is a milestone for the team, a departure for big goals. Nothing less than to become the most attractive brand in cycling.&nbsp;The vision of developing Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe into the most attractive brand is a long-term one. The team will benefit from the success of other sports and the unique performance expertise of its new partner, Red Bull. In addition to strengthening the WorldTeam, global scouting will be expanded for the new season and a U23 team will close the gap between the team's own juniors and the WorldTeam. Finding talented riders and developing them into future Grand Tour stars and iconic riders - this is the beginning of a new era for manager Ralph Denk and the team.&nbsp;Ralph Denk, CEO Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe: "Today we open a new chapter in our team’s history as Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe. I would even go so far as to say that this is a milestone for cycling as a whole. Our project has always been ambitious, but now we clearly have our sights set on the top, we want to shape our sport and become the most attractive brand."&nbsp;Oliver Mintzlaff, CEO Red Bull Corporate Projects and Investments: "Today is a special day and we are looking forward to finally getting started. We are very ambitious, we want to continuously develop and take the next steps to win grand tours and the biggest races in cycling. Red Bull has shown in many sports how these goals can be achieved with a clear vision, the development of talent, professionalism, and innovation in sport. We are proud that our long-standing partners BORA, hansgrohe and Specialized remain with our team and are starting a new era together with us. I would like to express my sincere thanks to them."The ambitious project starts on Saturday. With the commencement of the Tour de France, Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe will make an impression.&nbsp;&nbsp;Strong team in the fight for yellowWith the new setup, the team is ready to fight for yellow in the biggest race of the year. Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe relies on a strong team surrounding leader Primož Roglič.&nbsp;On the climbs, the leader relies on climbing specialists Aleksandr Vlasov and Jai Hindley. Both have only one Tour de France under their belts - but they were spectacular firsts for both. Vlasov finished the 2022 Tour in the top 5, while Hindley's day in the yellow jersey last year was a highlight in the team's history. The team's top-class support in the high mountains recently proved its strength with the overall victory at the Dauphiné. Just as there, debutant Matteo Sobrero will provide mountain support at the Tour de France as well.&nbsp;&nbsp;The physical strength and presence of Danny van Poppel, Marco Haller, and Nico Denz will provide concentrated power on the flats. The trio has the experience of 29 Grand Tours and will give the climbers plenty of reassurance. Veteran and Tour de France stage winner Bob Jungels will take on the role of road captain.&nbsp;&nbsp;New style - new partner: BOSS becomes fashion partnerIn addition to Red Bull, BOSS is another new brand to appear on the jerseys. The core brand of the global fashion and lifestyle company HUGO BOSS has a long tradition in sports sponsorships. As a partner of the Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe team, BOSS is immersing itself in professional cycling at the highest level. Just in time for the Tour de France, the "Official Partner for Fashion Apparel" is outfitting the team's athletes and staff with new casual and athleisure styles.

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Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe: the start of a new era in cycling

Giovanni Aleotti is the winner of the Tour of Slovenia 2024. The 25-year-old Italian from BORA - hansgrohe successfully defended his overall lead on the extremely contested final stage of the five-day race, winning the overall classification by ten seconds ahead of Spaniard Pello Bilbao and 26 seconds ahead of fellow Italian Giulio Pellizzari.Especially Bilbao, Briton Paul Double, and Irishman Ben Healy, who won today’s stage, tried everything on the 156.9 km section from Šentjernej to Novo mesto to unseat Aleotti from his lead. However, Aleotti and his BORA - hansgrohe teammates remained calm despite the slightly chaotic race situation and managed to neutralize all attacks. This is Aleotti’s third overall victory in a stage race, having previously won the Romanian Sibiu Tour in 2021 and 2022.<div class="raw-html-embed"><iframe src="https://firstcycling.com/widget/?r=211&amp;y=2024&amp;lang=ENG" width="100%" height="410" scrolling="yes" frameborder="0"></iframe>Results powered by <a href="https://firstcycling.com/race.php?r=211&amp;y=2024" title="FirstCycling.com">FirstCycling.com</a></div><h3>From the finish line</h3>“From the start, the race was very hectic. With 40 or 50 kilometres to go, a strong group broke away, and I was a bit worried. But we never panicked and were able to come back and control the race. I’m really thankful for the help from my teammates – not only today but also the whole week. In the end, I focused on Bilbao, and everything went well. This is definitely the biggest achievement in my career so far. Thanks to all the people who support me.” – Giovanni Aleotti“We knew today would be tough, and that’s exactly what happened. But the team did an excellent job. Especially Jonas Koch and Alexander Hajek, who helped to close the gap after the attack by Bilbao, Healy, and Double, showed an outstanding performance. I’m incredibly happy for Giovanni that he won the overall classification. At the Giro, he was a domestique, and now he’s showing that he can take on the responsibility of a captain. Such a success is extremely important for a young rider and will surely motivate him for the future.” – Bernhard Eisel, Sports DirectorPhoto: Sprint Cycling Agency

Giovanni Aleotti wins the Tour of Slovenia 2024 (Photo: Sprint Cycling Agency)

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Giovanni Aleotti Wins the Tour of Slovenia 2024

Today’s fourth stage of the Tour of Slovenia was the queen stage of the five-day race. The finish in Krvavec, at an altitude of 1,587 meters, provided the setting for the only mountain finish of the race.&nbsp;For BORA - hansgrohe, the goal was to defend the leader’s jersey claimed yesterday by Giovanni Aleotti. The 25-year-old Italian accomplished this brilliantly, as Aleotti resisted all attacks from the competitors on the eleven-kilometre-long final climb. Although Spaniard Pello Bilbao pulled away slightly in the final meters, Aleotti crossed the finish line just three seconds later as the third-place finisher. The BORA - hansgrohe captain now heads into tomorrow’s final stage with a twelve-second lead over Bilbao, giving him the opportunity to win the overall classification of the Tour of Slovenia 2024<div class="raw-html-embed"><iframe src="https://firstcycling.com/widget/?r=211&amp;y=2024&amp;s=4&amp;lang=ENG" width="100%" height="410" scrolling="yes" frameborder="0"></iframe>Results powered by <a href="https://firstcycling.com/race.php?r=211&amp;y=2024&amp;s=4" title="FirstCycling.com">FirstCycling.com</a></div><h3>From the finish line</h3>“It’s been a really tough day with the long climb at the end. I’m very grateful for the team’s support today, which allowed me to completely focus on the final climb. In the end, I lost a few seconds, but third place is still a good result. Tomorrow, I expect a lot of attacks, but we have a strong team, and we will try everything to defend the lead.” – Giovanni Aleotti“Today’s race went almost perfectly for us. Giovanni was one of the strongest riders on the final climb, which was definitely an impressive performance from him. Even though the overall standings are now looking very good, tomorrow will be anything but easy. The competition definitely won't hand us the victory on a silver platter, and we expect a very tough race.” – Bernhard Eisel, Sports DirectorPhoto: Sprint Cycling Agency

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Tour of Slovenia: Giovanni Aleotti takes third place in the stage and retains the overall lead

A courageous attack that was rewarded with victory – in the final of today's third stage of the Tour of Slovenia from Ljubljana to Nova Gorica, BORA - hansgrohe rider Giovanni Aleotti put on a spectacular show.&nbsp;After keeping up with the best on the final climb, the 25-year-old Italian broke away from the group of favourites on the final descent and celebrated an impressive solo victory. After 160.5 kilometres, Aleotti won with an eleven-second lead over Jhonatan Narváez (Ecuador) and Jordan Jegat (France). The freshly crowned stage winner also took the lead in the overall standings and will tackle tomorrow's queen stage of the Tour of Slovenia in the green jersey of the overall leader.<div class="raw-html-embed"><iframe src="https://firstcycling.com/widget/?r=211&amp;y=2024&amp;s=3&amp;lang=ENG" width="100%" height="410" scrolling="yes" frameborder="0"></iframe>Results powered by <a href="https://firstcycling.com/race.php?r=211&amp;y=2024&amp;s=3" title="FirstCycling.com">FirstCycling.com</a></div><h3>From the finish line</h3>“The last few kilometres were really tough. This is a special victory for me, as I had to overcome several setbacks last year. Now I’m really happy to be back on the road to success. I want to take this opportunity to thank my teammates, who helped me a lot today. We really have a great spirit in the team. Now we will enjoy the victory, but tomorrow we will do our best to defend the leader's jersey.” – Giovanni Aleotti“We are very happy for Giovanni, this is really a huge success for him. Alexander Hajek was already riding in the jersey of the best young rider today, and now Giovanni has taken the overall lead – accordingly, we can be very happy with our performance here at the Tour of Slovenia so far. However, the hardest stage is still to come tomorrow. We have already inspected the long final climb and know that we have a tough challenge ahead of us.” – Bernhard Eisel, Sports DirectorPhoto: Sprint Cycling Agency &nbsp;

Giovanni Aleotti wins stage 3 of the Tour of Slovenia 2024 (Photo: Sprint Cycling Agency)

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Tour of Slovenia: Giovanni Aleotti wins the third stage and takes the overall lead

Cesare "Cece" Benedetti was part of the team from the very first day. He was one of the first riders selected for Ralph Denk's new Team NetApp in 2010. Cece has spent his entire professional career with the same team.&nbsp;&nbsp;In August, the 36-year-old will end his career as a rider. 15 seasons together show the unique loyalty for which he is known within the peloton. Benedetti is the most experienced rider in the BORA – hansgrohe squad and has become a road captain in recent years. May 23, 2019 will remain unforgettable: Benedetti, usually an important helper in the team, was the centre of attention that day. He celebrated at the finish of the 12th stage of the Giro d'Italia in Pinerolo. The most important victory of a long career was taken in a Grand Tour, in Italy of all places! &nbsp; The following year, the South Tyrolean became a Polish citizen. Fittingly, the Tour de Pologne - his new home race - will be his final race in August. &nbsp; Cesare Benedetti<blockquote>“It seems like yesterday that I met Ralph Denk at the 2009 World Championships in Mendrisio. We quickly came to an agreement and 15 years later, I am proud to finish my cycling career with the same team. Today I can consider it something very special.”</blockquote><h4>&nbsp;</h4><h4>From pro to DS</h4>As one stage of his career comes to an end, preparations for the next stage have already begun. Starting in 2025, Cesare Benedetti will become a Sports Director at Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe. His focus will be on the rookie program with the newly founded U23 team. Prior to the new season, he will complete a trainee program with the WorldTeam Sport Directors. He will switch to the car for selected races in September and October to prepare for his new role.<figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://bora-hansgrohe-cms.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/sprintcyclingagency_0804407_1_2000px_e544bb1db0.jpg"></figure> Cesare Benedetti<blockquote>“I am now ready to face new challenges in a new role, but still in the same great project. After 25 years of waking up every day with the same sporting goals, I feel grateful and blessed to be able to end my adventure as a professional athlete with new goals already in mind. I am sure this is very important for my future and my health in the next chapter of my life. There are still some big goals that I will share with the team as a rider for the rest of 2024, but I already feel highly motivated to give my best in my new position to repay the team's trust.”</blockquote>

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Cesare Benedetti ends career and becomes DS

Nico Denz and BORA – hansgrohe will continue to ride together in the coming seasons. The 30-year-old has extended his contract with the team ahead of the season's highlight. &nbsp; Nico Denz<blockquote>“After my first very successful year with BORA – hansgrohe, I'm happy to continue riding here. It's a great environment where I feel at home. I'm also delighted to be part of the new project with Red Bull. To play a support role in a Grand Tour victory is one of my biggest dreams, which I hope to fulfil here in the team.”</blockquote>&nbsp; In his first year with BORA – hansgrohe, Nico Denz scored a double victory at the Giro d'Italia. The 30-year-old won two stages within just a few days last season. This year, he has his sights set on a new Grand Tour – his debut at the Tour de France. &nbsp; The dress rehearsal for this, at the Critérium du Dauphiné, has been a success, with the yellow jersey, two stage wins and a commanding victory in the team classification giving the squad confidence as it heads into July. Nico Denz was an important part of this test run and is also scheduled for the Tour de France. He will fine-tune his form at an altitude camp in the coming weeks.<figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://bora-hansgrohe-cms.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/sprintcyclingagency_0817054_1_2000px_432d969d56.jpg"></figure>

PRESS SECTION

MAIN PRESS CONTACT

Stefan Flessner

Phone: +49 160 97389899