Team Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe: Roglič vs. Lipowitz - a comparison of the candidates for the captain's role
Andreas Kublik
· 17.07.2025
On Thursday (17 July 2025), the 12th stage of the Tour will take the riders into the Pyrenees for the first time - into the high mountains and over long climbs. Before the start, everything seems clear, as reported from the camp of Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe Florian Lipowitz complied with the role publicly ascribed to him. "I would describe myself as a noble helper. I think the distribution of roles is very clear," said the 24-year-old on the first rest day of the 112th edition in Toulouse (read here).
TOUR took a close look at the two best current tour specialists in the jersey of the German racing team. Who has which arguments in their favour? Our comparison of Primož Roglič and Florian Lipowitz - in the pros & cons:
Primož Roglič (35 years old / Slovenia)
Pro - what speaks in favour of the experienced Slovenian Primož Roglič?
The experience
Despite his late start to his career as a professional cyclist (he started out as a ski jumper), the Slovenian will be competing in his 17th Grand Tour. He has already overcome many crises in difficult stage races. Roglič has won the Vuelta four times, the Giro d'Italia once and was second in the Tour in 2020. This will be his seventh time at the Tour of France.
The backing
Everyone at Team Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe emphasises that the old rider is the undisputed leader of the team. When Lipowitz was temporarily left behind on the first stage, the young German received no help. A similar scene was not seen around Roglič. Head of sport Rolf Aldag emphasises that the team captain's eight podium finishes are an asset. Confidence is a mental tailwind.
The personality
Falling down and getting up - Roglič has epitomised this since his time as a ski jumper. He has often overcome crises. Falls have only temporarily thrown him off track. He works his way through the stress of long stage races with equanimity day after day - like last year, when he first caught and then overtook Ben O'Connor, who was behind him in the overall standings, with a lot of patience and small time gains on his way to winning the Vuelta. He has the staying power of a tour specialist - and the head for it.
Contra - what speaks against Roglič?
The age
Roglič will be 36 years old in October. Nobody has won the Tour at this age in recent decades. The oldest Tour winner in the recent past was Cadel Evans - the Australian was 34 years old when he triumphed in 2011. A mature age was hardly helpful on the podium either: only Geraint Thomas made it to the final podium in 2022 at an age comparable to Roglič. The Welshman was 36 years and two months old at the time. The years have taken their toll on Roglič, who was once a fast climber - at least that's how it looked on the last few days of the race. Time bonuses and thus good stage placings could also play a role in the battle for the podium. The Slovenian can only rely on endurance. Even in the individual time trial he no longer seems as strong as he used to be.
The success rate
Yes, Roglič has stood on the Grand Tour podium eight times. Most recently, he won the Vuelta last year. However, it is also true that the Slovenian has failed to finish five times in his last nine starts in three-week stage races. His record is particularly poor in the Tour of all things: since Tadej Pogačar snatched overall victory from him at the last opportunity in the 2020 Tour, he has started three times and never reached the final Tour stage finish in Paris or Nice. He also crashed and dropped out of his first major goal of the season, the Giro d'Italia, in May. In short: crashes too often. The faux pas when he lost the connection to Pogačar and Vingegaard on the windward edge of stage 1 was no proof of a mature riding style and good leadership in his team.
The mould
The current leader has few arguments in his favour from the 2025 season. He won the mountainous Tour of Catalonia. He started well at the Giro - but then gave up. Further proof of form: none. He rode cautiously on the first half of the Tour route - within sight of the best, but not really with the best. Weak by his standards in the individual time trial. No sign of his former explosiveness and desire to attack. A loss of form or a successful poker game?
The future perspective
As things stand, Roglič's contract expires at the end of the season - as far as is publicly known. Team boss Ralph Denk is not in the habit of communicating contract terms. Roglič's performance curve does not actually speak in favour of a contract extension. He is not really suitable as a senior partner for younger racing drivers. After all, he left Visma | Lease a Bike because he didn't like the role in the hierarchy behind his much younger team-mate Jonas Vingegaard.
The market
As a marketing object, Roglič is not a long-term investment. He comes from the small country of Slovenia and is unlikely to experience many more summers at the highest level of cycling. What's more, even in his home country he is outranked by compatriot Tadej Pogačar. Even though Roglič was the more popular of the two professional cyclists at home for a long time.
Florian Lipowitz (24 years old / Germany)
Pro - What speaks in favour of the young German Florian Lipowitz?
The mould
Florian Lipowitz has been on a roll since the start of the season. The 24-year-old Tour debutant has been one of the few active pursuers of the top favourites Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard in the Tour so far. More striking, more lively than Roglič. Also faster in the individual time trial than his team-mate, who was the 2021 Olympic champion against the clock. Since finishing seventh overall at the Tour of Spain last autumn (as Roglič's helper), his performance curve has been on a steady upward trajectory: Second at Paris-Nice, fourth at the Tour of the Basque Country, third at the Tour of the Dauphiné, when he rode much stronger in the mountains than podium contender Remco Evenepoel. Also looked in good form on the first Tour stages. Outsprinted Roglič by 21 seconds in the flat time trial on stage 5 around Caen.
The age
At 24, Lipowitz has the future ahead of him, should get even better, he naturally has the better recovery ability. His age alone makes it worth investing in him. Developing talent starts early - also by gaining the trust of your employer early on.
The future perspective
Ralph Denk has always said that he wants to build up a classics rider in his own team. Preferably from his own junior department. Although Lipowitz was discovered and supported by Team Tirol in Austria, he made his breakthrough into the professional ranks with the only German World Tour racing team. The young man has potential, inspires with his riding style and is already recognisable as a real all-rounder for big stage races. You could enjoy this talent for a long time.
The market
When someone in Germany is considered a "hopeful" for the Tour de France, often described as the third most important sporting event, marketing experts should sit up and take notice. Even within the team. Especially as Germany, with a population of 80 million, serves a huge market.
The personality
Roglič and Lipowitz seem to be a bit similar in this respect. Down-to-earth, focussed, hard to rattle. As thoughtful as Lipowitz speaks with a Swabian flavour, as down-to-earth and long-term he thinks and acts as an athlete - although not yet in every racing situation.
Contra - what speaks against the young German:
The experience
The young man from Laichingen in the Swabian Alb is taking part in the Tour for the first time. He knows mountains and cycling races. But the Tour de France is one size bigger - more attention, more pressure, more media appointments. And the competitors are in better shape than in any other race. His riding style often seems unbridled - fellow racers like Nils Politt have already advised him to ride in a more considered and restrained manner. His starts sometimes seem a little reckless and overconfident. What's more, the former biathlete only got into cycling late in life, first becoming a real racing cyclist five years ago (at the age of 19) and is only in his third year as a professional at World Tour level. Three Grand Tour starts - once each in the Giro, Vuelta and now the Tour. When he dropped back from the peloton on stage 1 due to a defect, he seemed a little hectic and over-motivated. However, the Tour newcomer didn't seem to be optimally controlled by the sporting management in these moments either. Which brings us to the next point...
The backing
Everything that has been said and seen: The young German must not feel as protected as possible in his own team. Some things are reminiscent of the 1996 Tour - when Team Telekom protected Bjarne Riis as captain against the more talented and stronger Jan Ullrich. A lack of backing can cause a reaction of defiance, but can also be a mental brake. Incidentally, Ullrich recently wished live on TV that people would support Lipowitz more. Recently, it was rumoured from the scene that Ralph Denk did not have the best reputation as an employer after he failed to support top German riders such as Emanuel Buchmann, Maximilian Schachmann and Lennard Kämna in difficult situations and drove them away. Recently, many of the German racing team's performances seemed as if the working atmosphere was not at its best.
Andreas Kublik
Editor
