You may be seeing more Red Bull than just on Wout van Aert’s helmet at the Tour de France in 2024. According to a report from Gazzetta dello Sport is suggesting a Red Bull-branded team at the upcoming Tour de France, scheduled to start on June 29 in Florence. Many speculated that such a move may happen after the energy drink’s deal with Bora-Hansgrohe. However, the expectation that such a rebrand would occur in 2025, not 2024.
Red Bull deal in January
In January, Red Bull secured a controlling interest in the companies that owned the German team, as confirmed by documents from Austria’s Federal Competition Authority. The authority, responsible for overseeing potential mergers to ensure compliance with competition laws, verified that Red Bull GmbH. It is based in Austria, and indirectly acquired a 51 percent stake in RD pro cycling GmbH & Co KG and RD Beteiligungs GmbH. These were the companies that owned the Bora-Hansgrohe WorldTour team, with the team manager, Ralph Denk, having previously held the majority stake.
Red Bull and Bora
The collaboration between Red Bull and Bora-Hansgrohe is not new. There was already a part of the “Red Bull Junior Brothers” scouting program for 2024. However, this acquisition was significant. Red Bull played a crucial role in the team’s recruitment of Primož Roglič during the recent off-season, with the Slovenian athlete seen at the Red Bull Athlete Performance Centre near Salzburg during negotiations.
Heavy presence in multiple sports
Red Bull’s involvement in sports is longstanding, owning an F1 team and various soccer teams, including RB Leipzig in Germany and FC Red Bull Salzburg in Austria.
According to the report, there may be a move similar to Lidl’s rebrand just before the Tour de France. Lidl-Trek made the change, transitioning from Trek-Segafredo)and a fresh jersey. Red Bull would then become the primary sponsor of the team, with new jerseys already under development in utmost secrecy. As for the color, rumours suggest it would be something akin to what you see Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez wearing in Formula 1.
Speculation was there, but things happening faster than expected
After the acquisition in January, The WorldTour team issued a brief statement regarding the development. A spokesperson disclosed, “Red Bull intends to expand its presence in road cycling and is pursuing a partnership with BORA – hansgrohe.” The plan involves Red Bull becoming a partner in team manager Ralph…
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