New Superploeg’s Spring Core Revolves Around Mick and Tim van Dijke

New Superploeg’s Spring Core Revolves Around Mick and Tim van Dijke

Mick and Tim van Dijke will leave Visma | Lease a Bike at the end of this year. The Dutch WorldTeam made an offer to the Zeeland twins, but it could not financially compete with other teams. Starting next season, the Van Dijke brothers will ride for Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, according to multiple sources shared with WielerFlits.

There was a lot of interest in the cycling duo. Teams like INEOS Grenadiers and Lidl-Trek were in the market for the Van Dijke brothers. Ultimately, both brothers chose Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, the German team co-owned by Ralph Denk. There, they will reunite with performance coach Marc Lamberts, who previously worked with what is now Visma | Lease a Bike. He made the transition with another familiar face for the brothers, Primož Roglič, who terminated his contract with YellowB at the end of 2023.

Mick and Tim van Dijke opted for the German team because they will have more freedom in the spring classics core. Until a few years ago, BORA-hansgrohe was one of the top teams in the classics, with three-time world champion Peter Sagan as their figurehead. However, the Germans struggled in the past spring season. Jordi Meeus and Danny van Poppel sprinted to third places in Gent-Wevelgem and Brugge-De Panne, but BORA-hansgrohe did not perform well in the major races. They simply did not have the riders for it.

At Visma | Lease a Bike, the two brothers were part of the spring core. However, with top riders like Wout van Aert, Dylan van Baarle, and Christophe Laporte ahead of them, their own chances were minimal. The fast Tim van Dijke did manage to seize an opportunity in Paris-Roubaix. Initially finishing eighth, he was later demoted to sixteenth place due to a rule violation. The slightly older Mick had a strong first year as a professional (2021-2022), but faced a lot of bad luck in the last two seasons.

The last two seasons have seen the German team evolve into a squad focused on the grand tours. With success: two years ago, Jai Hindley won the Giro d’Italia. In a few weeks, he and Aleksandr Vlasov must ensure that team leader Roglič adds the Tour de France to the team’s list of accomplishments. The Tour de France will be the first race in the new jersey, as the new main sponsor Red Bull will appear on the jersey in two weeks. Since the deal was finalized at the end of January, the team has been very active in the transfer market.

Despite the company behind the famous energy drink providing a financial injection, major investments have yet to materialize. Jasper Philipsen was deemed too expensive by Denk in an earlier stage. With riders like Meeus and Sam Welsford on board, there are two fast men, but a true top sprinter is still missing from the roster. It seems unlikely that one will be added. Nevertheless, Red Bull has all the means to shape the team to their liking. Of the current 29 riders, fifteen have contracts expiring at the end of this year.

Behind the scenes, the Germans are busy setting up a new classics core. Spring sensation Laurence Pithie reached an agreement even before Groupama-FDJ could reward him for his strong classics campaign, and Spanish champion Oier Lazkano will also be seen in a Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe jersey next year. They, along with the Van Dijke brothers, will form the spearhead of the newly built spring core. All new riders in a new team, starting from scratch. In other words, all four will start with equal opportunities in 2025.

The departure of the Van Dijke brothers from Visma | Lease a Bike will be a significant loss for the team. They were on their way to becoming key riders in the team, and their absence will leave a void. The decision to leave for Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe was likely a mix of financial gain and the opportunity for more freedom in the spring classics. The move will give the brothers a chance to shine in a new environment, alongside other talented riders. While Visma | Lease a Bike will feel the impact of their departure, it opens up opportunities for other riders to step up and make their mark in the team’s spring core.