Tour de Romandie: Lipowitz keeps up with Pogacar at the start

German cycling star Florian Lipowitz confirmed his good early form in the first duel of the season with dominator Tadej Pogacar at the start of the Tour de Romandie. The 25-year-old finished the short time trial in Villars-sur-Glâne in tenth place after 3.2 kilometres. Lipowitz lost only three seconds to the four-time Tour de France winner from Slovenia, who finished sixth in the prologue of his first Tour of Romandie. Lipowitz, who is not a time trial specialist, was two seconds behind his Slovenian Red Bull team-mate Primoz Roglic. Frenchman Dorian Godon took the win.

In the coming days, five difficult stages are on the programme for the important preparatory race for the Tour de France, in which a total of more than 14,000 metres of altitude have to be mastered.

Lipowitz ahead of the tour: "I think the form is there"

After a convincing performance at the Tour of the Basque Country, Lipowitz is travelling to western Switzerland with a lot of momentum. "Second place in the Basque Country gave me a lot of confidence. The week that followed was not completely structured, but I think the form is there. Now we'll see what's possible in Switzerland," said the Tour bronze medallist from 2025, who already attracted attention at the end of March at the Tour of Catalonia as third overall.

Lipowitz's team-mate Remco Evenepoel will not be taking part in the Tour de Romandie. Two-time Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard, who would like to challenge Pogacar again in the summer, is also not taking part in the tour.

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