David Langenbein and Felix Schröder, dpa
Germany’s cycling hopes rest once again on the shoulders of Florian Lipowitz at the 113th Tour de France. How does last year’s third-place finisher rate his chances of closing the gap on the dominant Tadej Pogacar this year? “It’s difficult, of course. I hope I haven’t reached my peak performance yet,” said the 25-year-old ahead of the start of the tour on 4 July in Barcelona. Here are the key questions and answers for cycling fans.
What’s on the agenda for the start in Spain?
The first stage of the Grand Loop is a 19-kilometre team time trial through the Catalan metropolis, past the Sagrada Família and over Montjuïc, Barcelona’s local mountain. Unlike in previous editions, however, each rider will be timed individually. It will be fascinating to see how the teams approach this tactically. On the second day, too, the route in and around Barcelona will take the riders over Montjuïc several times, culminating in a challenging finish at the Olympic Stadium. The third stage then takes the peloton into France.
Does Florian Lipowitz have a chance of making the podium again?
At the Tour of Slovenia, the 25-year-old has only just demonstrated his outstanding form with two stage wins and the overall victory. His results in the spring against stronger opposition also give cause for hope that the German can once again finish in the top three. However, the situation within his own Red Bull team will be interesting, with Belgian Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel having been signed for this season. The team will line up with two leaders. In the high mountains, Lipowitz is considered the stronger rider. In time trials, Evenepoel is in a class of his own.
Can anyone beat Tadej Pogacar?
The Slovenian cycling dominator won almost all the classics he entered this spring, and most recently triumphed in the Tour de Suisse with a lead of more than six minutes. If he gets through the three weeks in good health, anything other than a victory would be a huge surprise. It would be the 27-year-old’s fifth Tour victory. The world champion would then draw level with the record-holders Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain.
Who else is tipped to do well?
Just ahead of Lipowitz and Evenepoel is Pogacar’s long-standing rival, Jonas Vingegaard. The Danish Tour champion of 2022 and 2023 won the Giro d’Italia for the first time at the end of May and is keen to carry that momentum into France. The French are pinning their hopes on prodigy Paul Seixas (19), who is riding his first Grand Tour. Seixas has already proven this season that he is capable of – and keen to – ride alongside the big names in the sport without a care in the world. However, it remains to be seen whether he can already be a serious contender for the overall victory in his first three-week stage race.
What are the highlights of the tour?
The 184 riders will have to cover more than 3,300 kilometres. The route includes around 54,000 metres of climbing in the Pyrenees, the Massif Central, the Vosges, the Jura and the Alps. After the opening stage in Barcelona, the race heads straight into the Pyrenees. The sprinters have marked the seventh stage, which finishes in Bordeaux, in red on their calendars.
The final week, in particular, is set to be a real challenge for the general classification contenders. After a four-year hiatus, the winter sports resort of Alpe d’Huez will be the finish line on two occasions, starting with the familiar route on Stage 19. On the penultimate day of the tour, the route will cover only the final three of the 21 iconic hairpin bends, but at the end of a gruelling stage with a total climb of 5,600 metres.
The tour ends in Paris on 26 July. The route will once again take riders up the Montmartre climb several times, a section that proved a real spectacle last year and is set to do so again at the 2024 Olympics.
Which other German riders could still be in contention?
Nils Politt will once again be one of Pogacar’s key support riders in the UAE Team. This is also likely to limit the Cologne-born rider’s chances of contesting a stage win himself. Georg Steinhauser has set himself this goal. Jan Ullrich’s nephew is set to make his Tour debut. “He’ll certainly be focusing on a few stages. But of course, he’ll also have to do his bit for the team,” Ullrich told ARD. Following his surprise victory in Bad Liebenstein, Felix Engelhardt will be riding his first Tour in the German champion’s jersey.
Where can you watch the tour?
ARD and Eurosport will be broadcasting the tour again this year. On Das Erste, coverage usually begins shortly after 2 pm. The online live stream starts a little earlier. Eurosport’s full-length stage coverage can also be streamed via the paid services HBO Max, Discovery+ and DAZN.
Why might the TV motorbikes cause a bit of a stir?
At the Giro, Germany’s Max Walscheid made his frustration clear. “Unfortunately, today the motorbikes influenced the outcome of the race, and that is extremely disappointing for us,” he said after the 15th stage, in which a breakaway group surprisingly crossed the finish line ahead of the fast-approaching peloton. The accusation, which is repeatedly voiced during races, is that the TV motorbikes were riding too close to the breakaway riders and thus provided them with valuable slipstream. The issue could well resurface in France and intensify the debate over the introduction of a technical solution.
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