Preview Part 1 - "They will complement each other well – but the day will come"

00:00:02: Inside Red Bull Bora Hansgrohe, the OVB online podcast on The Tour de France.

00:00:09: For three weeks we joined team manager Ralph Denk as he leads the biggest and most successful German cycling team through The Tour De France.

00:00:19: Do you have questions for Ralph Denke?

00:00:21: Send them to tobias.roof at ovbmedia.de And now enjoy the new episode!

00:00:32: One hundred and thirteen years of Tour de France for everyone.

00:00:35: Fourteen Years Of Tour De France For Him, Seven Years Of tour de France For Us.

00:00:41: And with that welcome to the seventh season of Inside Red Bull Bora Hans Grohe The OVB online podcast on the tour de france.

00:00:50: Hello to all our listeners and of course a warm welcome, the team manager of Red Bull Bora Hansgrohe Ralf Denk.

00:01:01: Ralf!

00:01:01: Hi

00:01:04: greetings everyone.

00:01:06: I'm very happy that we are together again this year To talk about the Tour de France About cycling And about our insights.

00:01:17: It is not my fourteenth Tour de France, but only my thirteenth.

00:01:21: Is it only the thirteenth?

00:01:23: Okay... Ralf seven years of podcasting for the seventh time.

00:01:28: The identical opening question we are just about to start the tour.

00:01:32: Do you get butterflies or a kind of routine by now?

00:01:36: No, I'm getting excited and just as motivated as i was thirteen years ago at my first Tour de France.

00:01:45: And if you were even one percent less motivated then you would be absolutely out of place!

00:01:54: That's why for me it is all or nothing.

00:01:57: so maximum motivation that we also invested a great deal in the preparation And yes, I am looking forward to it.

00:02:08: But naturally the goals have grown every year and there is also a bit more pressure.

00:02:14: but that's always part of professional sports.

00:02:17: so why do you still feel comfortable?

00:02:19: Wonderful!

00:02:20: That was what i wanted here.

00:02:22: So anything but routine for you.

00:02:26: What remains routine is our schedule.

00:02:28: We will check in again this year after every stage, discuss the race action with you Ralph look behind the scenes of cycling and always provide a preview for upcoming stages.

00:02:37: On Thursday we'll hear part one about your team Red Bull Bora Hansgrohe.

00:02:45: on Friday there's Part Two of the Preview!

00:02:49: Look at the route talk about the favourites.

00:02:51: take a close look to the first stage Saturday.

00:02:54: That is a special one.

00:02:56: A bonus episode with you and Bora Boss, Willy Bruckbauer!

00:03:01: My colleague Corbinian Sauter has already recorded it.

00:03:05: You can find in our feed Highly recommended.

00:03:08: Give It Listen.

00:03:09: So Ralf let's get started.

00:03:12: We are recording on Wednesday.

00:03:14: Where Is The Team?

00:03:15: What do the final days look like before the Grand De Par on Saturday at Barcelona?

00:03:21: The team actually split into On one hand, the risers and on the other support staff.

00:03:26: Then within the support staff there are two more groups One group that travels with their vehicles to Barcelona.

00:03:35: they actually left our service course on Monday morning already.

00:03:40: They all arrived safely in Barcelona so they trucked a bus And the support vehicle is already on site.

00:03:49: A part of the staff group who have the privilege to travel by plane are arriving today and the racers also arrive throughout day-to-day.

00:04:00: I will join their team tomorrow, then we'll be complete looking forward for getting started on Saturday!

00:04:08: Before we turn into the squad in more detail let's take a quick look back at how satisfied you were with this season so far?

00:04:20: Shortly after the Tour de France, we had a change in the sports department.

00:04:27: Rolf Aldaag left the team and in the autumn Saks Attempts took over as new Sports Director.

00:04:35: A companion of mine was former racer on my team in the years twenty thirteen and twenty fourteen and he has introduced a new style to our team.

00:04:46: And we have started the season very, very successfully so far or I've had a very successful season.

00:04:54: today We are currently sitting in second place on Team.

00:04:58: World rankings Have been able to achieve great success For example The victory at the Amstel Gold Race by Remko Evinapool A big classic in the Netherlands.

00:05:10: We were on the podium at almost all world tour stage races, including the Giro d'Italia with Jai Hindley.

00:05:16: Florian Lippewitz has more or less finished every World Tour Stage Race and so we are very satisfied how things have gone sportingly so far.

00:05:27: Our rookies have also developed incredibly well.

00:05:30: We just won the Giro d'Italia for under-twenty three riders last week, won Paris Roubaix for under twenty three riders and so our youth development sector has worked very good to date.

00:05:44: That is why we are quite happy so far.

00:05:47: And it's also nice to start the Tour de France with some successes already under your belt, rather than always chasing success and hoping that now there will be a Tour de France and then perform.

00:06:01: Because one thing is clear – The Tour De France is our biggest sporting event on this calendar!

00:06:08: And every rider who is at the start line, uh... ...is perfectly prepared and a race takes place at a massively high level.

00:06:17: You said that the new signature of Zack Dempster is recognizable!

00:06:22: What exactly can we imagine by that?

00:06:26: Yes, one of our core values is development.

00:06:29: That's why we invest so much in our under-nineteen and under-twenty three rookies.

00:06:34: but for me development also means giving young people a chance at major positions.

00:06:39: And Zach Dempster I mentioned him earlier he was the former rider of mine.

00:06:44: He is only thirty eight years old.

00:06:46: now heads the entire sports department.

00:06:50: Yeah, he has never held this major position at another team before.

00:06:56: it is his first big role.

00:06:59: He's been in professional cycling for a long time coming from Team Ineos but just not in such a major position.

00:07:07: and uh...he has succeeded in shaping the team connecting to specialist departments.

00:07:12: there are very good spirit of the team with an atmosphere that is much more communication than ever And there is also a great understanding of how to speak the language of youth and understand it as well.

00:07:28: Ultimately, we are dealing with many young athletes who were the major achievements for Zack Dempster.

00:07:40: If I have or am allowed to evaluate his work today then i'm very satisfied.

00:07:47: Okay, alright.

00:07:48: Thank you!

00:07:49: So let's move on to the Tour de France and look at the squad first.

00:07:54: You announced it last Friday.

00:07:57: Red Bull Borahansgroha is heading into tour with a dual leadership.

00:08:04: That what your press release said.

00:08:07: Anyone listening now will not be so surprised when I say this.

00:08:11: Dual Leadership consists of Remco Evanapole and Florian Lipovitz.

00:08:16: What exactly can we imagine by this dual leadership?

00:08:19: The topic of role distribution.

00:08:23: Yes, they are equal captains.

00:08:25: both have already stood on the Tour de France podium but there also different characters and different types of races.

00:08:33: yes so the more explosive...the more aggressive one is definitely Remko Evernipol.

00:08:40: the one who was more let's say enduring is Florian Lipovitz And I am convinced, and that is not just my opinion but of the entire sports management.

00:08:52: That they will complement each other incredibly well... ...and we simply have to wait and see how the race goes for each individual.

00:09:04: Of course today comes when one feels better than another….

00:09:08: …but primarily start as equal captains and also enjoy full support from their team!

00:09:16: Now the preparation for both of them was actually different.

00:09:21: Could you perhaps briefly describe their respective approaches and why each path is chosen?

00:09:30: It's logical because Remco definitely counts with his world championship title, with his Olympic victory among the best one-day riders that exist in the world.

00:09:41: And in the spring, there are many one-day races on our calendar like The Tour of Flanders.

00:09:47: Like Liege Bastogne-Liege, like the Amstel Gold Race and those were the first highlights for Remco or Florian who is perhaps not quite as comfortable with One Day Races but As I mentioned before he's more an endurance rider.

00:10:03: He prefers stage races to long climbs.

00:10:06: That is why he raised a completely different program.

00:10:10: He wrote the Tour of Catalonia, The Tour Of The Basque Country and now also the Tour Of Slovenia.

00:10:16: And that was a different approach which is also good because we were able to achieve success in both one-week stage races that took place with them.

00:10:32: That is why, and you have to know that all points count towards the world ranking where we are currently second.

00:10:39: And it was a blessing for us that we scored points in both the one-day races... ...and stage races!

00:10:46: Thank You!

00:10:47: My prediction would be that we will talk about the two of them Remko Evernepole and Florian Lipovitz quite a bit more over the next three weeks.

00:10:57: Let us look at.

00:11:07: Yes, he is definitely good enough for the role.

00:11:10: He has won Giro d'Italia himself and also won a stage at the Tour de France and was third in the Giro D'Italie this year.

00:11:17: so he already has ridden one Grand Tour of this year as now prepared even better in Livigno.

00:11:23: And he's coming to the Tour De France with very good form and it comes there motivated.

00:11:31: He kept asking us in the spring, can I go to the Giro?

00:11:37: And we don't have to push him there.

00:11:39: he really wanted to do both grand tours and that is always a good sign when the dog itself wants to go hunting... ...and you don't need to carry it!

00:11:49: In Jai's case this was definitely the case.. ..and thats why i believe he will ride very-very well towards the France maybe even be a chance for himself.

00:12:00: He is strong enough to win a stage there, he has already proven that and otherwise... ...he will hopefully be at the side of Florian and Remko in the high mountains.

00:12:11: And so Jai Hindli becomes Jai Hundli who goes on The Hunt himself!

00:12:16: That's how quickly it happens.

00:12:18: Let us look further.

00:12:19: There are two German riders on the team.

00:12:22: that is Nico Dens.

00:12:23: It is his second tour participation.

00:12:25: What are his responsibilities?

00:12:27: what are his strengths?

00:12:29: Similar to Jai as well.

00:12:30: Nico also pushed us hard to ride the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France, so he is coming from the.

00:12:37: Gio d'Italia was just together with Shai Hindley in Livigno And they did a final fine tuning there for the Tour de Frans.

00:12:44: He's different type of rider than Shai.

00:12:47: He is our man For the flats!

00:12:50: He will play an important role on Saturday but also on flat terrain in crosswind situations and even on slightly rolling roads.

00:13:01: Nico is a reliable rider you can count on!

00:13:05: He has, when the opportunity arose already won Grand Tour stages specifically at Giro d'Italia.

00:13:12: He hasn't won a stage at the Tour de France yet, but he's very strong rider.

00:13:17: He was also racing in German championships this past Sunday where he finished third.

00:13:26: I followed the race on Sunday and it made me optimistic because he really had a very strong impression.

00:13:33: that's why Nico absolutely deserves to be here!

00:13:37: Then we have two experienced and two younger riders with us.

00:13:41: Let's start with the veterans, both with three tour starts each Mathias Kataneo and Jan Tratnik.

00:13:48: Let' s start with Kataneu then Tratnik again.

00:13:52: what are their roles and strengths?

00:13:54: Yes!

00:13:55: Both are similar types of riders And they're even similar in age.

00:14:02: They bring a massive amount of experience and they are two strong riders for the medium mountains.

00:14:27: They have no ambition to ride for themselves at the Tour de France, but put them fully in service of their team and also do so-called dirty work.

00:14:37: That means fetching bottles when it's very hot getting ice from vehicles or cooling when weather is bad distributing rain gear on the team.

00:14:49: So those are really thankless tasks But they stand for that.

00:14:52: They love what they do and are also so experienced that they don't always look for a fly in the ointment.

00:15:01: When a caravan like The Tour de France goes from A to B, from B to C changing hotels every day we do our very best and have a very well-coordinated team but things don't run smoothly for us.

00:15:13: either You can complain about it or you say hey guys!

00:15:18: Don't get upset We've got great support anyway.

00:15:21: See it with positive light.

00:15:23: And those are exactly the two who always smooth things over when something doesn't go to plan and keep the mood high.

00:15:31: Maxim van Gils & Tim van Dijk are about ten years younger, both twenty six year old.

00:15:37: Van Gils has already ridden two tours de France while Van Dijk is making his debut.

00:15:41: What About Those Two?

00:15:44: Maxime is alongside Jai, our biggest support for the high mountains and Maxime was very seriously injured at the Grand Prix d'Ian in Andalusia.

00:15:56: In spring he broke his pelvis... ...and it was out of action for a long time!

00:16:03: It's also questionable whether he would even manage to get fit again with the Tour de France?

00:16:08: And yes, he made it with immense effort from our medical team.

00:16:14: He got fit and also wrote a great criterion the Dauphiné where he played key role in Luke Tuckwell's podium finish even won a stage there himself.

00:16:25: so I would say that really was the comeback of year within our team And that is why he has absolutely earned his spot in our tour squad.

00:16:36: He's along with Chai for medium to high mountains, Our man at the side of the captains

00:16:43: Tim van Dijk who also had to struggle with injuries.

00:16:47: Yes actually I believe broke his collarbone again just three weeks ago during training The High Altitude Training Camp.

00:16:56: That was then quickly repaired Once again, a huge effort from our medical department.

00:17:03: Yes man it sounds so intense but he broke his collarbone with us at our high altitude training camp then flew home for surgery and few days later was already back in the training camp and continued training And that is why his commitment to what we showed there definitely earned him spot on tour roster.

00:17:28: Tim van Dijk is definitely the man for the flat terrain similar to Nico Denz.

00:17:37: Yes, it should actually be routine by now.

00:17:40: what crazy dogs they are but you surprise me every single time.

00:17:44: incredible story about Tim van Dyck.

00:17:47: What stands out is that there are no classics printers included.

00:17:52: Some have missed Jordy Moyes and Danny van Poppel, who has recently achieved good performances... ...and good results.

00:17:59: No sprinters are there!

00:18:00: What's the thinking behind it?

00:18:03: Yes.. It was discussed of course And we also looked a bit at what others were doing.

00:18:11: and Jordy Meus.

00:18:13: I would say he is a very good sprinter but winning at the world class level, He has proven it before.

00:18:22: But not on a regular basis and It's always difficult to dance at several weddings At once.

00:18:30: And if you take sprinters with You then naturally also need people who prepare that for them.

00:18:39: changed the entire squad to some extent and ultimately we also want regardless of whether with Ramco or with Florian, to reach the podium.

00:18:49: And that is the overall goal.

00:18:56: They are very, very strong sprinters and I have great respect for them but against the absolute world elite like Tim Merlier or Jonathan Milan.

00:19:08: Or even some others it is hard to win on command And that's why we decided on the leadout.

00:19:15: Exactly!

00:19:17: One big prominent name is missing.

00:19:19: You had also communicated quite early on Is Primoz Roglic?

00:19:23: For those who haven't heard yet Why is he not in the tour squad?

00:19:54: That is his big goal for the season, whether he can once again deliver the performance needed to win.

00:20:01: It will be difficult.

00:20:03: Primoz's season has not gone quite as we or had imagined so far but he definitely wants to try and win the Vuelta as a Spaniard for a fifth time He is focusing on that...he has our full support of it And this is why we said no Tour de France this year.

00:20:22: That was not a tough discussion or decision made over his head, but both of us actually said it makes more sense to prepare for the Vuelta a España through training and other smaller races.

00:20:39: So he will be wearing this fancy new special jersey on Tour de France?

00:20:45: It's been released today – Wednesday July first!

00:20:50: What is your story behind that?

00:20:52: Yes, you can see the number thirteen in the background and we want to properly celebrate our thirteenth Tour de France.

00:21:04: For me that is also an achievement to have a team at the Tour de France for the thirteenth time And the Number Thirteen is something special in cycling.

00:21:17: It brings you either luck or misfortune.

00:21:19: Some cyclists, when they have to race number thirteen even pin it upside down on their jersey and that is why we are actually celebrating the Number Thirteen very positively And there will be probably... Or There would definitely one of two reactions but That's why The Thirteen also featured in our jersey in a softened version or in a Softened visibility.

00:21:46: Exactly So head over to the Red Bull Borahansgrohe social media channels or check out The Home Page.

00:21:53: That's where the whole stylish piece is already available, you just hinted at it.

00:21:59: but yes – classic journalist question and a nice wrap up for part one of our preview!

00:22:06: Goal General Classification Podium.

00:22:09: Did I get that right?

00:22:11: Yes, well we were third and if you say that would be satisfied with the top five finish now.

00:22:17: That doesn't really seem credible.

00:22:19: also anyone who knows me I want to improve.

00:22:22: every year We have been second or first on the podium but never been first.

00:22:28: so If it goes in this direction i definitely have nothing against what is an explicit wish of mine a daily victory stage win.

00:22:38: We didn't win a stage at the Tour de France last year.

00:22:42: I know what that feels like.

00:22:44: in the Peter Sagan era, we were often a bit spoiled.

00:22:48: He won two or three stages during the tour de France and being in the spotlight for a day as a rider And as a team is something very special and we didn't manage that last year.

00:23:02: That's why I have high hopes.

00:23:04: with eight nominated riders At some point During the twenty-one stages, we will cross the finish line with both arms raised in the air.

00:23:12: Exactly and We Will Look Ahead To These Twenty One Stages And The Favorites In Part Two Of Our Preview.

00:23:20: Ralph Thank You For This Inside Today!

00:23:23: And Next Episode Will Be In Your Podcast Feed Very Very Soon.

00:23:27: Subscribe On Spotify Apple Podcasts And Everywhere You Get Your Podcasts.

00:23:33: Be Sure to Check Out Our Website OVBORNLINE and follow Red Bull, Bore Hans Grohe on social media.

00:23:39: Check the homepage.

00:23:40: you know what to do with that.

00:23:42: thanks for today And see you for part two of The Preview.

00:23:47: Best regards to Ralph Denk.

00:23:49: Very nice!

00:23:49: And best regards back to Rosenheim.

00:23:52: That was the latest edition of Inside Red Bull.

00:23:55: Borahanskrohe, The podcast from OVB online on Tour de France.

00:24:01: You can find the podcast in all common podcatchers and on the websites of OVBMedia & Ipanmedia.

00:24:09: Thanks for listening and see you next episode!