Two 15-year-olds, Karl Herzog and Georgs Tjumins, have been declared the winners of the Pink Bull Junior Brothers program for 2024, awarded with a spot on the GRENKE-Auto Eder U19 crew, Bora-Hansgrohe‘s junior squad, together with a Pink Bull athlete contract.
The pair each described the choice, introduced on Friday, as a “dream come true”. Herzog is the youthful brother of Bora-Hansgrohe rider Emil, who additionally got here via the junior system on the crew, and is claimed to have “distinctive expertise”. Tjumins is a promising younger Latvian rider, described as having “immense potential” within the press launch.
The pair had been the victors after a scouting course of which noticed over 600 candidates whittled down to fifteen finalists, who spent this week present process exams on the Pink Bull Athlete Efficiency Centre in Thalgau, Austria.
“It means rather a lot, I am tremendous pleased,” Herzog mentioned. “It’s a dream which got here true. I am wanting ahead to subsequent season’s massive worldwide races, in a extremely good under-19 crew.”
Tjumins echoed this: “It is like a dream come true, I am actually excited for subsequent season, I feel will probably be a extremely fascinating one.”
“On the whole, we had competitors this yr,” Christian Schrot, head of scouting at BORA-hansgrohe, and directeur sportif at GRENKE-Auto Eder, advised Biking Weekly. “So many international locations participated, it was good to see. I would not say it was one facet, we appeared into a whole lot of various things that we predict professional riders ought to have. We had fairly a studying curve with doing this for therefore lengthy within the crew, and it is the second time of Junior Brothers. We adjusted from final yr a bit too.
“This yr we had been wanting extra for the whole rider. Not simply the bodily aspect, but in addition all of the elements the place we see the potential to develop. That was the most important factor to take a look at. Each of them stood out on this group, so after some dialogue it was fairly clear that these are the winners. Each related, however there are variations if you happen to look deeper. Each have good potential.”
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(Picture credit score: Pink Bull)
Tjumins mentioned that there was “a whole lot of testing”, each psychological and bodily.
Herzog expanded: “We additionally went on bike rides, we had numerous free instances with the opposite cyclists too. It was actually enjoyable… I solely have excessive factors up to now, no low factors. It was every part that I believed it could be.”
Having an older brother on the senior crew, does not harm, both: “The fellows from Bora, and Kristian, know Emil effectively, and they also know a bit about how I’m, and my scenario, the place I stay. They know a bit about me greater than different cyclists.”
For Tjumins, he hopes to observe within the wheels of the likes of Toms Skujiņš (Lidl-Trek) and Emīls Liepiņš (dsm-firmenich PostNL) as a Latvian WorldTour skilled.
“The federation is asking me on a regular basis the way it’s going over right here,” he mentioned. “This can be a massive step for biking in Latvia, I hope.”
The exams weren’t simply bodily, Schot defined, as they’re on the lookout for well-rounded athletes to assist develop.
“They bodily capability must be there, the bottom, in any other case we’re simply not going to develop them to WorldTour,” he mentioned. “Additionally, the remaining ought to match. Bike dealing with, communication, are they physiologically match, have they got earlier accidents. All these factors are considered, via particular person and group conditions.”
Georgs Tjumins throughout testing
(Picture credit score: Pink Bull)
Among the many ultimate 15 had been three Brits, Louis Herring, Harry Hudson and Isaac Oliver.
“All three of us right here from the UK race for Harrogate U16 race crew, which I feel was arrange final yr as an extension of the core membership,” Oliver defined. “And it was only for the under-16 and junior riders that needed to race with a bit extra of an official setup.”
Herring added: “Even when in the long run, we do not get the contract, there’s nonetheless a lot expertise gained this week, and it has been actually good for realizing the place we’re at and realizing that our entire physique is ok to push.”
Schot burdened it was not over for the 13 who missed the reduce this yr.
“The competitors degree was excessive, and I mentioned to the opposite boys to maintain on going,” he mentioned. “It was already wonderful to be right here. We had over 600 candidates, and being chosen for the final 15 means one thing. I might inform them to observe a transparent plan, have some targets in thoughts, as a result of if you do not have targets it is laborious to achieve something. Not simply desirous about the bike and coaching, however every part round.”
Pink Bull Junior Brothers will return in 2025.
