Stefan Tabeling, dpa
When Florian Lipowitz returns to racing under the Tuscan sun exactly 50 days after his crash on the Tour, national coach Jens Zemke will be watching very closely. “I’m in touch with his coach. He says that, based on the data, we’re definitely on track. So it all looks quite promising, actually. Now we’ll just have to wait and see how he copes with it mentally,” Zemke told the German Press Agency.
Four races in Italy, starting with the Giro della Toscana on Wednesday, are set to serve as a litmus test for the German cycling star. If everything goes to plan, he should then be given the go-ahead for the World Championships in Montreal (20 to 27 September). There, he could be in contention for medals in the individual time trial and the road race. With the exceptional talent Tadej Pogacar out of the World Championships following an injury-related crash, a whole new set of opportunities has opened up.
With no hopes of victory in Italy
Lipowitz isn’t thinking that far ahead just yet. “Above all, I’m looking forward to putting on a race number again and competing. After seven weeks without competition, I can’t yet know exactly where I stand. That’s exactly what we want to find out. For me, these first races aren’t about the result. I want to see how my body reacts to the strain of racing,” said the 25-year-old.
During the individual time trial stage of the Tour de France on Lake Geneva, Lipowitz suffered a heavy fall and broke his collarbone. “The crash in the Tour didn’t look all that spectacular at first, but there were a few injuries that needed to heal, which ended up taking quite a while,” reported Zemke.
For Lipowitz, the tour marked the first setback in his career after a period of rapid rise in recent years. First came the ongoing discussions about the role of team captain alongside double Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel, then his first major injury as a professional.
No World Championship clearance from Red Bull yet
The Red Bull team has not yet given the go-ahead for the World Championship either. “Of course, the World Championship is a race that appeals to me,” says Lipowitz, who also emphasises: “But one thing is clear to me: if I’m not in the right form, I don’t want to take a starting place away from another rider.”
With 3,800 metres of climbing over 273.7 kilometres, the World Championships route is not exceptionally difficult, but it does suit Lipowitz given his climbing abilities. A dual leadership role alongside Marco Brenner – who has just demonstrated his strong form with a stage win at the Vuelta – would also be conceivable. “We’ve still got another ace up our sleeve,” said Zemke.
Germany also needs a strong team; after all, the competition at the World Championships is fierce even without Pogacar. Lipowitz and his team-mate Evenepoel could well find themselves competing against each other. The Tour de France runner-up leads the strong Belgian team alongside Paris–Roubaix winner Wout van Aert. And Oranje star Mathieu van der Poel is always a title contender.
But first, we have to wait until Sunday for the races in Italy, which are certainly challenging. “I’m not putting any pressure on myself at all right now,” said Lipowitz: “That’s why I want to wait and see how the first few races go and honestly assess where I stand.”
Copyright 2026, dpa (www.dpa.de). All rights reserved
