<\/p>\n
\u201cMy name has gone global. It\u2019s like signing for the Real Madrid of cycling. You have to know how to handle that. I\u2019m a simple guy \u2014 I stick with my family, my partner and my friends. I don\u2019t want to change and I won\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
A \u2018special feeling\u2019 with Red Bull from the first conversation<\/p>\n
Etxeberria says the transfer accelerated from the moment he hit a streak of strong results, sparking interest from several WorldTour teams.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter I won in Castilla y Leon and put together a month of really strong results, my manager and Benat Intxausti began to see real possibilities of jumping to the WorldTour. There were teams interested. Everything seemed to be pointing towards Jayco, but then I had a conversation with Red Bull where I felt a special connection from the first minute. They understood my objectives. I had no doubts when it came to signing.\u201d<\/p>\n
The appeal went beyond the team\u2019s structure. Red Bull\u2019s roster for 2026 includes Evenepoel \u2014 the rider Etxeberria calls his biggest reference point \u2014 as well as Roglic, two champions whose presence only strengthened his decision.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve followed Red Bull since the Peter Sagan era. I fell in love with cycling when he revolutionised this sport. And it just so happened Evenepoel, my big reference, was arriving. Everything came together.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kern Pharma, the team that guided his early professional years, supported the move with full understanding. \u201cKern Pharma didn\u2019t put up any obstacles. Juanjo is a wonderful person and someone I still trust. Those bonds don\u2019t break.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ambitions shaped by Ardennes dreams \u2014 and a hunger to learn<\/p>\n
Etxeberria\u2019s long-term goals lean towards the Ardennes, where he hopes one day to compete for the grandest of one-day prizes. \u201cI love the Ardennes. I dream of winning Liege\u2013Bastogne\u2013Liege or Fleche Wallonne one day. Also the Clasica San Sebastian, because I\u2019m Basque and it practically starts from my doorstep.\u201d<\/p>\n
His inspirations are clear: Sagan for flair, Valverde for dominance, and Alex Aranburu as the rider he views as a realistic benchmark.<\/p>\n
For now, though, he insists his focus is less on immediate results and more on absorbing everything the WorldTour \u2014 and Red Bull\u2019s vast support structure \u2014 can teach him. \u201cOnce I\u2019ve adapted to the WorldTour and the way Red Bull works, we\u2019ll see how I can evolve. My priority is to absorb as much as possible. I\u2019m privileged to have this opportunity. Every piece of advice will go straight into the notebook.\u201d<\/p>\n
Grounded origins \u2014 and no intention of changing<\/p>\n
Despite the meteoric rise, Etxeberria says he remains the same village rider who once turned up to group rides on an old white bike with downtube shifters.<\/p>\n
\u201cI started in trials riding. Then my friends got me into the village bike rides. I had a white bike with no brand, with the gears on the frame. I was 1.70 and 82 kilos. I was a sprinter. Life has changed a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n
Some routines remain non-negotiable \u2014 time with family, quiet celebrations, and a riding group back home made up mostly of cycling-obsessed 40- and 50-year-olds. \u201cI\u2019m still a village kid and I want to stay that way.\u201d<\/p>\n
His grandmother, who famously used to avoid attending races out of nerves, was there for the turning point \u2014 the day he won the Vuelta a Bidasoa. Now, watching him sign for Red Bull, she shares his disbelief. \u201cWe\u2019re taking it all in together.\u201d<\/p>\n
A Galactico in spirit \u2014 but still hungry, humble and learning<\/p>\n
Etxeberria\u2019s arrival at Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe brings youthful excitement, obvious potential and a personality that fits neatly into the team\u2019s long-term vision. He knows the opportunity is enormous; he also knows he\u2019s stepping into one of the most scrutinised environments in cycling.<\/p>\n
Still, he prefers to think simply. \u201cBeing a professional cyclist is about enjoying it and working hard, not losing your essence.\u201d<\/p>\n
Red Bull may have its next Galactico \u2014 but he\u2019s keeping both feet firmly on the ground.<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cMy name has gone global. It\u2019s like signing for the Real Madrid of cycling. You have to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":579231,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4104],"tags":[4230,183283,183284,77932,42460,16151,79,182814,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-616407","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cycling","8":"tag-cycling","9":"tag-equipo-kern-pharma","10":"tag-haimar-etxeberria","11":"tag-primoz-roglic","12":"tag-red-bull-bora-hansgrohe","13":"tag-remco-evenepoel","14":"tag-sports","15":"tag-transfers-negotiations","16":"tag-uk","17":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115673943443851286","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/616407","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=616407"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/616407\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/579231"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=616407"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=616407"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=616407"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}