Red Bull has become a major shareholder in Bora-Hansgrohe, which is expected to have a "major impact" on the 2025 rider transfer market.

Agents for Remco Evenpole and Wout Van Aert were quick to refute reports that the two Belgian riders have been approached about a 2025 transfer. However, it is widely expected that Red Bull will buy a 51% stake in the German WorldTour team, increasing team manager Ralf Denk's spending power.

The riders' agents have naturally welcomed Red Bull's entry into the professional cycling team, hoping their investment will boost the riders' salaries.

Red Bull has a profit of 1.56 billion euros ($1.64 billion) in 2022, and Oliver Mintzlaff, managing director of sports sponsorship, reports that he expects the team to be strengthened and rebuilt for 2025 with the aim of winning the Tour de France. The German news agency "dpa" has reported that the team is expected to win the Tour de France in 2025. The German news agency dpa suggested that the Red Bull logo could appear on the 2024 Tour de France jersey, despite the recent extension of Bora's sponsorship with Hansgrohe through 2027.

"The arrival of Red Bull will have a huge impact on the sport and the transfer market for riders," leading agent Alex Carrera told Cycling News. [Lidl's title sponsorship has changed the rider market and increased team budgets for 2024. The arrival of Red Bull will further increase the value of big-name riders."

"Dpa" claimed that Bora Hansgrohe has already put out a "feeler" to see if Wout Van Aert and Remco Evenpool would be interested in joining the team, both of whom have until the end of 2026 with Visma Lease-a-Bike Sourdal-Quickstep, which has a contract with Sourdal-Quickstep, but may have a limited end-of-contract clause, making it a potential target for Red Bull, which usually targets riders with global appeal.

Van Aert already has a personal contract and helmet sponsorship deal with Red Bull, and Even Paul has a deal with Specialized, the bike sponsor of Bora-Hansgrohe.

Denk has made two attempts to sign Evenpohl, but Evenpohl has so far stayed with Sourdal-Quick Step, led by Patrick Lefebvre.

"There are currently four world-class stars in pro cycling, and I think Ralf Denk could try to sign one of them for 2025," Carrera told Cycling News.

"The big four are Tadej Pogachar, Mathieu van der Pol, Wout van Aert, and Remco Evenpol. Jonas Vingegaard won the Tour de France because I don't think he's the kind of world star that would appeal to Red Bull.

Carrera is Pogachar's agent and knows that the Slovenian is a potential Red Bull target.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Pogachar is the highest earning player in the pro peloton, with a contract worth €6 million per year and personal sponsors. However, Pogachar has a €100 million termination clause in his contract with UAE Team Emirates, which lasts until the end of 2027; UAE Team Emirates naturally wants to keep Pogachar around for 2028, when the World Championships will be held in Abu Dhabi.

"Tadej is under contract until 2028, but I don't think there are any big termination clauses for the other players," Carrera suggested.

"Van der Pol recently extended his contract with Alpecin Deceuninck. That leaves two players left for Red Bull to target: ......."

Denk was surprisingly absent from Bora Hansgrohe's Medisday in Mallorca last week, but spoke to media at the event, including Cycling News, via video call.

"I have a business trip to the US," Denk said with some difficulty.

According to the Dpa news agency, Denk was in California to talk to Red Bull and Specialized about their future plans.

Denk was cautious with the media about Red Bull's investment, citing the January 26 deadline set by Austrian antitrust authorities. But he suggested that Red Bull could be a game changer, especially if the One Cycling reform project is finalized.

"We need to watch the evolution of cycling. Certainly Red Bull has shown in other sports that it can make a difference, but it is too early to talk about it.

Primoš Roglic is the new Tour de France leader for Bora-Hansgrohe and a real contender for the yellow jersey in 2024.

"It could be a big, strategic partnership to help us grow and achieve our goals," Denk said, expressing hope that Red Bull's investment will allow the team to become a super team and take on the likes of UAE Team Emirates.

"Cycling has changed a lot in the last few years, and Arab countries have become more influential. If you look at the budgets of the teams, the average is growing more and more each year.

"My goal is to run a really competitive team. The addition of Red Bull is going to be the next step for us."