Tom Bachmann, dpa
Exhausted and with a dirt-smeared face, Florian Lipowitz stood at the foot of Mont Royal after what was perhaps the toughest race of his career. “I lacked that bit of punch, but I’d already realised that beforehand,” Germany’s top professional cyclist told the German Press Agency, reflecting on his World Championship race in Montreal. As underdog Brandon McNulty claimed victory, Lipowitz finished 47th in the standings. But that was beside the point.
It was to be expected that he wouldn’t achieve a glorious result, given the broken collarbone he suffered two months ago. The World Championships were, if you like, the first real test of his fitness for the coming season. After a few days’ rest, Lipowitz intends to tackle three more Italian one-day races: the Giro dell’Emilia, the Tre Valli Varesine and the Tour of Lombardy. “I’m struggling with that. So it’s all the better if I can ride some of them,” explained Lipowitz.
Alpine World Championships: a chance to win a medal
He may well have next year’s World Championships in the French Alps in mind. With 5,700 metres of climbing, it will be the toughest World Championships in 47 years – and for Lipowitz, perhaps his best chance of a medal. Even if superstar Tadej Pogacar, who missed the race in Canada due to a broken collarbone, is back on the start line.
Generally speaking, Lipowitz is a stage racer; he struggles in races such as the World Championships. “I put in the same performance in the third week of the Tour de France as I do in a one-day race,” said the 26-year-old. In the classics, it is above all that burst of power – that explosive acceleration – that makes the difference. And experience.
More mature and composed
Lipowitz has gained plenty of these this year, particularly when it comes to matters outside cycling. “I’ve learnt to cope better with stress. There’s a lot of pressure on you, and expectations are high, especially during the Tour,” said Lipowitz. “I’m much more mature, a bit more relaxed.”
His year will be judged by his performance in the Tour. He is well aware of this following his third-place finish in 2025. Admittedly, this year’s statistics include some strong results, such as second places in the Tour de Romandie and the Tour of the Basque Country, as well as third place in the Tour of Catalonia. But his main goal was a podium finish at the Tour, which he missed out on due to a crash in the individual time trial and his subsequent withdrawal.
“All in all, I can be more than satisfied,” said Lipowitz. “During the Tour, I was well on course for a podium finish. Of course, it’s one thing to have a strong year. It’s harder to prove yourself again.”
Plans for next year won’t be finalised until the autumn. Yet even this season, it was becoming clear that Team Red Bull would face an extremely challenging task in balancing the interests of Lipowitz and Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel. This is particularly true of the Tour, where Evenepoel finished second behind Pogacar following the withdrawal of Lipowitz and two-time winner Jonas Vingegaard. As a result, the Belgian will now be a contender in the world’s biggest race.
Giro as an alternative?
It remains to be seen whether the team will field a dual leader again – particularly as there was a public row during this year’s Tour, fuelled mainly by Evenepoel. The Belgian felt he had received too little support from Lipowitz.
What options does Lipowitz have in this dilemma? There were already rumours last year about a move to the Lidl team. However, the second German team already has too many general classification riders under contract in Juan Ayuso, Mattias Skjelmose, Felix Gall and Giulio Ciccone. And Lipowitz himself is still under contract with Red Bull until 2029. At least on paper.
So a bit of imagination is needed when planning the racing calendar. Lipowitz could, for example, ride the Giro d’Italia for the second time after 2024. On that occasion, the Swabian had to withdraw after just five stages due to illness. Next year, he could then line up at the start as team captain. The Tour de France would then also be an option, allowing him to get into shape for the World Championships whilst riding in a non-lead role. The road race there takes place at the end of August, a good month after the end of the Tour.
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