Team Bahrain Victorious

Team Bahrain Victorious (UCI team code: TBV^[2]) is a UCI WorldTeam cycling team from Bahrain which was founded in 2017.^[3] Its title sponsor is the government of Bahrain.

The team at the 2023 Paris–Nice

The team at the 2025 Tour de Hongrie

Team Bahrain Victorious

Team information
UCI code	TBV
Registered	Bahrain
Founded	2017
Discipline	Road
Status	UCI WorldTeam
Bicycles	Merida
Components	Shimano
Website	Team home page
Key personnel
General manager	Milan Eržen
Team managers	Gorazd Štangelj Vladimir Miholjević Roger Hammond Rolf Aldag Paolo Artuso Aritz Arberas David Bailey Xavier Florencio Timothy Kennaugh Tim Harris Franco Pellizotti Neil Stephens Alberto Volpi
Team name history
2017–2019 Bahrain–Merida 2020 Bahrain–McLaren 2021– Team Bahrain Victorious[1]
Current season

History

The idea for a Bahrain pro cycling team was started in August 2016 by Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa.^[4] The team is financed by the government of Bahrain to promote the country worldwide.

Death of Gino Mäder

During the fifth stage of the Tour de Suisse on 15 June 2023, Swiss rider Gino Mäder fell in a turn when descending from the stage's highest point at Albula Pass. Mäder, 26, was found to be unconscious and submerged in water. He was resuscitated and airlifted to a hospital in Chur. Mäder died from his injuries a day later.^[5][6] Bahrain Victorious, along with two other teams, withdrew from the Tour on the next stage of competitive racing on 17 June 2023.^[7]

Team roster

As of 5 January 2025.^[8]

Rider Date of birth  Nikias Arndt (GER) (1991-11-18) 18 November 1991 (age 33)  Phil Bauhaus (GER) (1994-07-08) 8 July 1994 (age 31)  Pello Bilbao (ESP) (1990-02-25) 25 February 1990 (age 35)  Alberto Bruttomesso (ITA) (2003-10-30) 30 October 2003 (age 21)  Santiago Buitrago (COL) (1999-09-26) 26 September 1999 (age 26)  Nicolò Buratti (ITA) (2001-07-07) 7 July 2001 (age 24)  Damiano Caruso (ITA) (1987-10-12) 12 October 1987 (age 38)  Roman Ermakov (RUS) (2004-10-06) 6 October 2004 (age 21)  Žak Eržen (SLO) (2005-10-19) 19 October 2005 (age 20)  Afonso Eulálio (POR) (2001-09-30) 30 September 2001 (age 24)  Matevž Govekar (SLO) (2000-04-17) 17 April 2000 (age 25)  Kamil Gradek (POL) (1990-09-17) 17 September 1990 (age 35)  Jack Haig (AUS) (1993-09-06) 6 September 1993 (age 32)  Rainer Kepplinger (AUT) (1997-08-19) 19 August 1997 (age 28)  Lenny Martinez (FRA) (2003-07-11) 11 July 2003 (age 22)

Rider Date of birth  Fran Miholjević (CRO) (2002-08-02) 2 August 2002 (age 23)  Matej Mohorič (SLO) (1994-10-19) 19 October 1994 (age 31)  Mathijs Paasschens (NED) (1996-03-18) 18 March 1996 (age 29)  Andrea Pasqualon (ITA) (1988-01-02) 2 January 1988 (age 37)  Finlay Pickering (GBR) (2003-01-27) 27 January 2003 (age 22)  Daniel Skerl (ITA) (2003-03-21) 21 March 2003 (age 22)  Robert Stannard (AUS) (1998-09-16) 16 September 1998 (age 27)  Oliver Stockwell (GBR) (2002-06-07) 7 June 2002 (age 23)  Antonio Tiberi (ITA) (2001-06-24) 24 June 2001 (age 24)  Torstein Træen (NOR) (1995-07-16) 16 July 1995 (age 30)  Sergio Tu (TPE) (1997-02-24) 24 February 1997 (age 28)  Max van der Meulen (NED) (2004-01-13) 13 January 2004 (age 21)  Vlad Van Mechelen (BEL) (2004-06-02) 2 June 2004 (age 21)  Fred Wright (GBR) (1999-06-13) 13 June 1999 (age 26)  Edoardo Zambanini (ITA) (2001-04-21) 21 April 2001 (age 24)

Doping

On 5 September 2018, the UCI announced that an out-of-competition test had resulted in an adverse analytical finding of erythropoietin in a sample collected 31 July 2018. Kanstantsin Sivtsov was provisionally suspended pending the result of any B sample test.^[9]

Following Stage 17 of the 2021 Tour de France, French police raided the team's hotel and bus on the suspicion of doping.^[10] The Police confirmed they conducted the raids and have the riders' training files in their possession, and "A preliminary enquiry has been opened to see if there has been, or not, acquisition, transport or possession of banned substances".^[11]

On 27 June 2022, four days before the first stage of the 2022 Tour de France, Europol raided residences of several Team Bahrain Victorious staff and riders in several countries including Slovenia, Poland, and Spain. The team stated that the raids were directly linked to the hotel searches that took place at the previous year’s Tour, while Matej Mohorič and Jan Tratnik denied that their properties had been searched.^[12]

Major wins

Main article: List of wins by Bahrain–Merida and its successors

World, National and continental champions

2017

Ethiopia Time Trial, Tsgabu Grmay

2018

Spain Road Race, Gorka Izagirre

Slovenia Road Race, Matej Mohorič

2019

Taiwan Time Trial, Chun Kai Feng

Ukrainian Time Trial, Mark Padun

Slovenia Road Race, Domen Novak

2020

Spain Time Trial, Pello Bilbao

2021

Slovenia Time Trial, Jan Tratnik

Italy Road Race, Sonny Colbrelli

Slovenia Road Race, Matej Mohorič

European Road Race, Sonny Colbrelli

Taiwan Road Race, Chun Kai Feng

2022

Bahrain Road Race, Ahmed Madan

Slovenia Time Trial, Jan Tratnik

Japan Road Race, Yukiya Arashiro

Asia U23 Time Trial Ahmed Madan

2023

Croatia Time Trial, Fran Miholjević

British Road Race, Fred Wright

Serbia Road Race, Dušan Rajović

UCI World Gravel Championships, Matej Mohorič

Taiwan Time Trial, Sergio Tu

2024

Slovenia Time Trial, Matej Mohorič