Florian Lipowitz is likely to see his name on the tarmac far more often, and there are sure to be plenty of German flags lining the roadside. As the battle for the top places enters the next phase of the Tour de France this weekend, Lipowitz – who finished third last year – can look forward to a bit of a home race. The race heads into the Vosges. Today’s finish to the 13th stage in Belfort is less than 70 kilometres from the German border, and tomorrow’s start in Mulhouse is even closer.
“I’m looking forward to seeing all the German fans who I hope will be lining the route this weekend,” said veteran rider John Degenkolb. Sprinter Max Kanter is also “definitely” looking forward to seeing them: “The spectators are what make the atmosphere at the Tour de France so special.”
Lipowitz can once again set his sights on a podium finish
And Lipowitz has an excellent chance of repeating his third place overall from Paris. Or could he perhaps achieve even more? Between second and sixth place, anything seems possible; only Tadej Pogacar’s yellow jersey is out of reach for everyone in the peloton. “Things are looking good for us in terms of a podium finish. Of course, the really tough stages are still to come, but we can be confident,” says Lipowitz, who is currently sixth, 4 minutes and 44 seconds behind. However, he is only 68 seconds behind the second-placed Dane, Jonas Vingegaard.
Things could change quickly in the Vosges. There are a few challenging climbs ahead. The Ballon d’Alsace, a first-category climb, serves as today’s warm-up. Tomorrow, on the route from Mulhouse to Le Markstein, three first-category climbs and one second-category climb await. The general classification could change significantly there.
Ullrich in yellow through the Vosges in 1997
Jan Ullrich also enjoyed what felt like a home race in 1997, when he was riding through the Vosges in the Yellow Jersey and, shortly afterwards, secured Germany’s first Tour victory. Eight years later, Jens Voigt claimed the Yellow Jersey for a day in Mulhouse, and in 2014 Tony Martin celebrated one of his five stage victories at the same venue following an impressive solo breakaway – so it’s certainly fertile ground for German professional cyclists.
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