Even with Evenepoel joining, Lipowitz will still go all-in for the Tour: "Everyone wants to be part of it"

At Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, they need to be aware of a luxury problem. They entered the Tour with Roglic as leader, but halfway through the race, they switched to a dual leadership. In the end, it was Lipowitz who finished third. Of course, the arrival of Remco Evenepoel is a giant step forward, but it could also make things more difficult.

And then we haven't even mentioned riders like Jai Hindley (fourth in the Vuelta) and Daniel Felipe Martinez (second in the 2024 Giro). In short, the German team has a very strong squad, which will have to be divided between the major tours. “We are now waiting for the routes of the other major tours before finalizing our season plans for the leaders,” says Chief of Sports Zak Dempster.

But Lipowitz may already have other plans. “The Giro is not on the schedule,” he said resolutely at a team press conference. “The Tour de France is the biggest race. Everyone probably wants to participate. I would love to ride, but of course, a lot can still happen during the preparation. We have to wait and see how the races go, but theoretically, the Tour is definitely an option.”

After his success in this year's Tour, the German climber has only one goal: to shine again in La Grande Boucle. Last week was the route presentation. Lipowitz was not there, but he had already studied the 21 stages. “I haven't looked at the route in detail, just glanced through it. It's challenging.”

The Tour starts in Barcelona, but the focus is on the final week in the Alps, including a double finish on Alpe d'Huez. That suits the white jersey winner. “I often have some trouble getting into the race. This year, I had a bit of a hard time in the first few days, but it improved after that. Next year, it will be tough at the start, but the final week will be extremely tough.”

It is plausible, if not inevitable, that Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe will not send Lipowitz, their only leader, to the Tour. Evenepoel, in particular, will also be given that status, even though the course is not tailor-made for him. His German teammate sees their chances increasing if they start together. “As the only leader, you are under more pressure; you have to grow into it.”