<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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Finn Fisher-Black has become New Zealands champion in the individual time trial. The 23-year-old completed the course, which was quite profiled, faster than anyone else and secured his first championship title in the elite category. Laurence Pithie was the second Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe athlete to start over the 37.4 kilometres and finished fifth.&nbsp;The course with almost 500 metres of elevation gain around Timaru on the east coast of New Zealand's southern island suited Fisher-Black's qualities. Three years ago, he competed in the national elite time trial for the first time and finished fifth. Now it worked out with the first championship jersey. “It was a really hard time trial to pace with the four hard climbs in the course and the windy and rainy conditions, but we came up with a pacing plan that worked really well and I was able to dig deep all the way until the line. I got to the halfway point and still felt I could do another half an hour. I gave a nod to Shane. From there I knew I was on a good day”, Fisher-Black said. “This is my first national title in the elites, it’s a jersey that I’ve won in my junior and u23 years and one I’m always proud to wear so it’s really special to be able to bring this jersey to my new team and to give it a home in the WorldTour&nbsp;again.” And there is another chance for Fisher-Black to win a jersey, as he will compete in the road race on saturday. "It's a super strong field this year – &nbsp;almost every New Zealand pro is racing so it will be a tough one.” By now he has already given Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe its first national title of the season - and the first in the team's history in New Zealand. &nbsp; Photo: Aiman Amerul / Cycling New Zealand&nbsp;

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Finn Fisher-Black is time trial champion of New Zealand

At the 2025 Challenge Mallorca, the newly formed U23 team Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe Rookies made a strong first impression. Over five race days, the young talents had the opportunity to gain valuable experience alongside WorldTour riders – a chance they made the most of.Racing shoulder to shoulder with WorldTour pros for the first time – the Challenge Mallorca marked the debut of the Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe Rookies on the big stage of professional cycling. Over five days, the eleven riders had the opportunity to gain top-level race experience alongside the WorldTour team. They had to adapt to both the longer race distances and the higher average speeds that come with competing at this level.The impressive result: Davide Donati (19th at Trofeo Palma) and Luke Tuckwell (19th at Trofeo Serra Tramuntana) both finished in the top 20. The rookies proved they were not only physically but also tactically up to the challenge. They positioned themselves smartly, supported the WorldTour riders at crucial moments, and followed race strategies with discipline.John Wakefield, Director of Development, was impressed: “Right from the start, our rookies displayed race awareness, positioned themselves smartly, and made an impact at key moments. They showed strong teamwork and great commitment to executing the race plan, providing support to our WorldTour riders exactly when it was needed. Therefore, the Mallorca Challenge was an invaluable and, above all, successful test for our rookies.”The next race for the Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe Rookies will be the Umag Classic in Croatia on March 5th.Photo: ©GettySport

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Challenge Mallorca: Strong Debut for the Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe Rookies

To prepare for the season, Frederik Wandahl spent much of the winter in Mallorca. At the first stage of the Challenge Mallorca – the Trofeo Calvià – the Dane made the most of this “almost” home advantage and secured an impressive fourth place.After a highly aggressive 149-kilometer one-day race filled with attacks, Wandahl made his move 23 kilometers from the finish, going all-in. With a determined acceleration, he broke away from the lead group and quickly built a gap of more than 20 seconds. For over ten kilometers, the 23-year-old rode solo at the front, but he was ultimately unable to hold off the chasing competitors. Twelve kilometers from the finish, Italy’s Christian Scaroni caught up, followed later by Jan Christen (Switzerland) and António Morgado (Portugal). In the end, Wandahl finished a strong fourth behind Christen, Scaroni, and Morgado—proving that his winter training on the Balearic island had paid off.“I felt really good and knew the course all the way to the finish, so I just went for it. But in the final kilometer, I didn’t have the legs to respond,” said the Dane at the finish. Despite his strong performance, there was a hint of disappointment in his words: “With legs like these, I was hoping for a little more, but I gave it my all. A fourth place is a super good start into the season. In any case, I want to thank the team for their support—it was fantastic.”With Roger Adrià (10th), another Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe rider secured a spot in the top ten. Adrien Boichis also put in a strong performance: The Frenchman, making his debut in a pro race alongside the WorldTour squad as part of the U23 team Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe Rookies, crossed the finish line in 28th place.<div class="raw-html-embed"><iframe src="https://firstcycling.com/widget/?r=271&amp;y=2025&amp;lang=ENG" width="100%" height="410" scrolling="yes" frameborder="0"></iframe>Results powered by <a href="https://firstcycling.com/race.php?r=271&amp;y=2025" title="FirstCycling.com">FirstCycling.com</a></div> Photo: @gettysport

Frederik Wandahl at the Trofeo Calviá 2025 (Photo: @gettysport)

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Trofeo Calvià: Frederik Wandahl finishes fourth after a courageous ride

Mallorca has always been good for premieres: 15 years ago, Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe, then Team NetApp, celebrated its racing debut here. In 2010, the Trofeo Palma provided the perfect backdrop for the first race day in the team's history. Wednesday marks another milestone for the team on the Balearic Island. The <a href="https://www.redbullborahansgrohe.com/en/riders/U23" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">riders of the Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe Rookie</a>s will wear a start number on their jerseys for the first time.&nbsp;January 29 will be a very special race day for Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe. In just a few weeks, the German team has formed <a href="https://www.redbullborahansgrohe.com/en/news/241021-u23-development-team" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">its own U23 squad</a>, bridging the gap between juniors and professionals. The result is a team that is oriented towards the WorldTour in terms of equipment, training conditions and personnel. Eleven top young talents, including junior world champion Lorenzo Finn, want to take the next step in their careers and develop into WorldTour professionals. The anticipation for their first race day is accordingly high.&nbsp;Ralph Denk<blockquote>“Now the time has come: after weeks of preparation, we are finally racing. I am very proud that we have completed this huge project in such a short time. I would like to thank John Wakefield and his team. Hats off to them for mastering this ambitious challenge. The rookies are very important to us as a team because we believe in developing young talent. I was at our very first race day 15 years ago and I will of course be at the premiere of our rookies on Wednesday.”</blockquote><figure class="image image-style-align-center image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://bora-hansgrohe-cms.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/MF_250109_Training_Camp_Mallorca_252109_c26d5decd1.jpg"></figure>The Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe Rookies extensively tested the roads of Mallorca during their pre-season preparations. In December they spent two weeks on the island together with the WorldTour pros. The riders also spent their training camp in Mallorca at the beginning of the year. All eleven rookies will get their chance in the five individual races of the Mallorca Challenge. They will compete in a daily changing line-up together with the WorldTour riders of Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe.

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Debut for the Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe Rookies

Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe delivered another strong performance at the 2025 Tour Down Under, a testament to the versatility of the squad in Adelaide. One of the team's standout riders was Sam Welsford, who impressed in the sprints throughout the week, securing three stage wins. Welsford’s efforts in the sprints enabled him to take home the points jersey. Finn Fisher-Black also made his mark on the race, securing two well-deserved third places on the third and fifth stages. The New Zealander's strong finish on Willunga Hill, where he sprinted uphill past several other top contenders, placed him in the mix for the general classification, where he finished third overall. Welsford and Fisher-Black, backed by the rest of the squad, were able to show the team's depth, leaving a mark on both the sprints and the overall standings at the 25th edition of the Australian race. Sam Welsford:<blockquote>I’m pretty speechless right now. The team absolutely took charge of the race today, and I couldn’t be more grateful for how everyone worked to bring me into the finale. I also want to mention that Finn did so well, he was outstanding on Willunga Hill yesterday. As a squad, we came into this race with big goals, and to see them all come to life is just amazing. Winning three stages and Finn securing third overall, it’s an incredible result, and I’m beyond stoked with what we’ve achieved together.</blockquote>&nbsp;Finn Fisher-Black:<blockquote>On the penultimate stage on Willunga Hill, I felt I had a strong opportunity. I gave it a shot to bridge the gap to the front, but it was a bit too wide, so I had to settle for third. That said, we came into this race with the goal of targeting a podium finish in the GC and securing stage wins with Sam, so we're definitely satisfied with our overall result. Personally, I'm really happy to have achieved my first GC podium with my new team - it’s a great feeling and a solid step forward.</blockquote>&nbsp;Bernie Eisel, DS:<blockquote>This is an incredible start to the new season. With Finn and Laurence as new riders on the team, the squad has shown great ability to work together and achieve a fantastic team performance. Three stage wins by Sam as well as Finn’s third place overall are truly outstanding. Every single one of the guys gave everything for our two leaders. We can be proud of each rider’s performance, and now we’re looking forward to the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race next week.</blockquote>&nbsp;Photo: Getty Sport

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Tour Down Under: Sam Welsford completes hattrick and claims sprint jersey, while Finn Fisher-Black takes third overall 

Sam Welsford delivered an impressive performance to claim his second stage victory at the 2025 Tour Down Under in as many stages. In a sprint finish in Tanunda, he powered to a dominant win.&nbsp;After a crash early in the stage that left him with minor abrasions, Welsford’s resilience was put to the test. However, Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe was quick to react. Danny van Poppel, Laurence Pithie, and Ryan Mullen played crucial roles in helping the Australian rejoin the peloton. After being put in some difficulties on the third climb of Menglers Hill, his teammates were once again present to bring him back.&nbsp;&nbsp;While his rivals jostled for position in the finale, Welsford was perfectly set up behind van Poppel for the lead-out. In the closing meters, the Australian launched his sprint and clinched the victory. Tomorrow, he will wear the ochre leader’s jersey for the second consecutive day.&nbsp;&nbsp;It was a hectic sprint in Tanunda, during which Danny van Poppel was relegated and received a yellow card under the new UCI rules—a decision the team respects.&nbsp;Sam Welsford:<blockquote>Crashing just five kilometers into the stage was far from ideal, and overall, the day was tough. The three breakaway riders were caught relatively early, and from there, the race became quite nervous. I was at my limit on the final climb, but the boys didn’t leave me behind, and together we pushed through. There were constant attacks up front, and I just hoped we’d have a chance to catch up on the descent. In the end, I’m happy I was able to take the win for the team. The guys supported me incredibly well, especially in the sprint preparation. They stayed patient and waited for the right moment. We knew the finish would be long and tough with the wind, and even though we were maybe at the front early, the boys executed perfectly. Tomorrow looks like a stage for the climbers, and I’m looking forward to supporting the guys as best I can.</blockquote>

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Stefan Flessner

Phone: +49 160 97389899