Start of the season on Mallorca: Lipowitz and Evenepoel start with a team time trial

The 2026 European cycling season starts with a real highlight: Remco Evenepoel will be seen in the Red Bull - Bora - hansgrohe jersey for the first time. The exceptional Belgian rider will make his debut for the German WorldTour team at the Challenge Mallorca, which starts on Wednesday with the Trofeo Calvià. The race series on the Balearic island comprises five varied one-day races with different profiles and is regarded by many professionals as the first test of the season. Evenepoel, together with Florian Lipowitz, will take part in the race for the first time on Thursday - and will be put to the test in the team time trial.

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Team time trial as Tour preparation

The team time trial plays a very special role this year, as the Tour de France starts with one on 4 July in Barcelona. For Red Bull - Bora - hansgrohe, the race on Mallorca offers a first opportunity to perfect procedures, test material and sharpen race tactics under competitive conditions. At first glance, the 24-kilometre course in Ses Salines appears to be a high-speed race, but it has a few pitfalls: Changing winds, a narrow road on the way to and from Campos, oncoming traffic between the teams and a tight 180-degree bend after ten kilometres require maximum concentration. For Evenepoel, it will not only be the first race in his new jersey, but also the first time racing with his new team-mates. Florian Lipowitz will also be starting his season alongside him. The duo will be supported by Mattia Cattaneo, Nico Denz, Gianni Moscon, Lorenzo Finn and Maxim Van Gils.

Many top teams at the start

In addition to Team Red Bull - Bora - hansgrohe and its two top riders, a whole host of other teams will be at the start of the Challenge Mallorca races. Among the WorldTour teams are UAE Team Emirates - XRG, Movistar Team, Uno-X Mobility, EF Education - EasyPost, Lotto Intermarché, XDS Astana Team and Team Jayco AlUla. In addition to these top teams, a number of Pro and Continental teams will also be there, including the German Rembe | rad-net racing team. If everything goes according to plan, the team around Lipowitz and Evenepoel should take victory in the team time trial without any major problems. Some of the competing teams also have strong line-ups, but the absolute top riders are missing.

Mountainous challenges in the Tramuntana mountains

After the team time trial, challenging mountain stages await the riders on the following two days. On Friday, the route leads over 154 kilometres through the Tramuntana mountains, including the Puig Major with a height of 935 metres. Shortly before the finish in Lluc, the Sa Batalla climb offers an ideal platform for attacks. Saturday presents a race with a different character, also covering around 150 kilometres: the route runs from Andratx along the west coast to the Mirador d'es Colomer in the north. The first half is undulating and promises an active race. This is followed by the Puig Major again, this time from the other side in the direction of Sóller. In the finale, a three kilometre long final climb will decide the race. The team has not yet revealed whether Lipowitz and Evenepoel will also be at the start of these races.