Sebastian Putz will step up from the Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe Rookies to the team’s WorldTour squad for 2027, earning his first contract at cycling’s highest level after two seasons in the German organisation’s development programme.
The 23-year-old Austrian is the latest rider to progress through Red Bull’s in-house pathway, following a 2026 campaign in which he finished second overall at the Istrian Spring Tour. The team confirmed the promotion in its official announcement on Wednesday, 28 October.
Second at the Istrian Spring Tour proved his stage-racing ability
Putz’s clearest result this season came in Croatia in March. He finished third on the uphill second stage of the Istrian Spring Tour in Motovun, behind stage winner Matisse Van Kerckhove and Abner Santiago Umba, and secured second place in the final general classification.
He had begun the year with the Rookies at the Challenge Mallorca, gaining experience in races that also featured WorldTour professionals. His programme subsequently included the Grand Prix de Denain, Nokere Koerse and Scheldeprijs, alongside smaller stage races where he had more freedom to pursue his own results.
Putz also contributed to his team’s final race of the season, the Coppa Città di San Daniele in October. He attacked early, helping make the race difficult before teammates Max Bock and Gustave Blanc took over in the final kilometres. Bock went on to win solo, completing a strong closing weekend for the development squad.
Austrian has spent two years with the Rookies
Born in August 2003, Putz came through Austrian cycling with Union Raiffeisen Radteam Tirol and Tirol KTM Cycling Team. He finished fourth overall at the 2023 Carpathian Couriers Race, then took fifth at the 2024 Tour de la Mirabelle and third at the GP Palio del Recioto.
Those performances earned him a place in Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe’s newly established under-23 Rookies team for 2025. He remained for a second season in 2026, racing alongside prospects including Lorenzo Finn, Davide Donati, Paul Fietzke and Max Bock.
His promotion continues the development team’s purpose of preparing riders for the WorldTour rather than simply collecting results in under-23 races. Callum Thornley and Luke Tuckwell were among the first graduates to make that move, both going on to start the Vuelta a España with the senior team in 2026.
Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe continues reshaping its 2027 roster
Putz’s arrival comes amid several changes at the top-level squad. Fellow Rookies graduate Lorenzo Finn is also due to join the WorldTour ranks, while Georg Steinhauser is moving across from EF Education-EasyPost.
There are departures too, including Alexander Hajek’s switch to Bardiani-CSF 7 Saber after three seasons with the senior team. Putz will therefore step into a roster that is changing both through outside recruitment and its own development structure.
His first WorldTour race programme has not yet been announced. The Istrian Spring Tour result and his experience across one-day races suggest a rider still building his strengths, with 2027 offering a chance to test those qualities against a consistently stronger field.
