Roglic is team leader, but what about super domestique/co-leader Lipowitz? Team director Aldag explains the situation in detail

Lipowitz finished third in the Critérium du Dauphiné, behind winner Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard but ahead of Remco Evenepoel. But according to Aldag, that doesn’t give any guarantees. “That’s the thing. If I remind you where Remco was in last year’s Dauphiné, and then where he was in the Tour, he was a completely different rider,” said the German to Cyclingnews. “That’s why I’d always be cautious about predicting anything based on the cash in the Dauphiné.”

The Dauphiné is a great indicator for the Tour, but it doesn’t mean everything, the Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe sport director knows. The ‘big three’ will normally be even better at the start in Lille on Saturday. “We know they already showed a good level there, but I don’t think they were all in Tour form yet. If they were, and someone is already at their peak and starts declining during the Tour de France, then that would be a positive surprise for us.”

In the mountains, Lipowitz was far stronger than Evenepoel, who is just one year older. “He dropped Remco by two minutes, but I wouldn’t expect that after two mountain stages in the Tour de France.” That’s why Aldag isn’t bombarding his protégé to podium contender. “To think this will be the podium based on what scientists are trying to figure out with VAM and other data, and what we ourselves know about Lipowitz and what we estimate Roglic, Tadej, and Jonas will do, I think that makes no sense.”

This is only the German climber’s third grand tour and his first Tour de France. The coming three weeks are mainly about gaining experience. “It’s going to be a huge learning experience for Florian, and I definitely wouldn’t place him among the Tour favorites because the others have experience in the Tour and more experience in grand tours than he does. We need to keep that in mind.”

With all that in mind, 35-year-old Roglic is still the clear team leader for the German squad. Lipowitz will normally serve as a super domestique for the four-time Vuelta a España winner, just as he did in last year’s Vuelta. “His performances show that he has huge potential, but it’s impossible to predict. That’s why I think we’ll just let him do his thing in the high mountains, close to Primoz.”

In the 2024 Vuelta, Lipowitz finished seventh and was invaluable to his leader. Aldag expects more or less the same in this Tour. “He’s important for Primoz because when you can dominate with a numbers advantage, it feels good to share the pain. If you’re isolated with fifteen other guys, it breaks you mentally. Having a teammate there can be a huge advantage when your heart rate is at 190.”