Australian Allan Peiper will make a return to the cycling world next year after recovering from cancer, joining Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe as a strategic advisor, the team confirmed on Monday.
Peiper, a former pro rider, stepped away from working in cycling full time back in 2021 after working as lead sports director for UAE Team Emirates, where he worked closely with Tadej Pogačar, particularly in the early stages of his career. He is often credited as one of the most influential figures in Pogačar's initial development.
Now, after a break from working to focus on treatment and recovery from prostate cancer, the 65-year-old swaps Pogačar for another Grand Tour force as he links up with Remco Evenepoel at Red Bull.
He has been a director since 2005, working for the likes of T-Mobile and BMC Racing before joining UAE Team Emirates in 2019.
Working as a strategic advisor, Peiper's role at Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe is not expected to be a full-time DS role, but rather focusing on contributing "his strategic expertise and extensive experience, helping the team translate its vision into a clear sporting strategy and actionable plans", according to a Red Bull press release.
The team also praised Peiper for "a strong sense of innovation and a genuine winning mindset – qualities that have also defined his personal battle against cancer".
He will work closely with new Chief of Sports Zak Dempster – drafted from Ineos Grenadiers – as the team enters its next chapter and the Evenepoel era.
"I'm very excited to be part of this project," Peiper said. "Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe has made impressive progress in recent years, and I see great potential to strengthen this structure even further. It's about living a clear sporting vision and turning it into daily performance – that’s what drives me."
For Dempster, Peiper was another strong addition to the impressive strategic core he is building, which includes his former Ineos colleague Oli Cookson, as well as former Belgian national coach Sven Vanthourenhout.
"Allan brings a unique combination of experience, strategic thinking and humanity," he said of the team's newest recruit. "Throughout his career, he has proven his ability to shape teams and inspire riders. His external perspective will be a tremendous asset to our sports department."
Elsewhere on Monday, we learned the new destination of one of Red Bull's former lead strategists. Bernie Eisel was one of the many staff members let go from the team this year as they made space for a new direction, and he has joined Lidl-Trek as sports director, where he will work with Juan Ayuso, one of the other riders hoping to step up their GC ambitions and tackle Pogačar in 2026.
