Germany’s cycling star Florian Lipowitz has begun his final preparations for the Tour de France, which starts in two and a half weeks. The 25-year-old lined up at the start of the Tour of Slovenia. His Red Bull team looked in good form – albeit without putting up much of a fight.
His team, which fielded a strong line-up for the Pro Tour race, dominated the event. His Australian team-mate Laurence Pithie claimed the stage victory in the bunch sprint. Lipowitz, who finished third in last year’s Tour de France, did not take part in the sprint as expected and did not finish among the top 20 riders on the first stage between Valenje and the small town of Rogaska Slatina in the east of the country.
Otherwise, there are hardly any World Tour teams taking part; the big names in cycling are completely absent. At the Tour de France, which begins on 4 July in Barcelona, Lipowitz will once again be up against superstar Tadej Pogacar. However, the four-time Tour de France champion is also absent from his home country. The race ends on Sunday.
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