Evenepoel criticizes teammate Lipowitz after Tour de France stage

Earlier in the spring, Evenepoel had supported Lipowitz at the Volta a Catalunya. "Bei der Katalonien-Rundfahrt bin ich 30 Kilometer lang für ihn an der Spitze gefahren", Evenepoel said, referring to the backstory. At the time he had helped Lipowitz to 3rd place; now, by his own account, he feels he has not been supported to the expected degree.

Red Bull relies on a dual leadership

The German Red Bull team is relying on a dual leadership at the ongoing Tour de France with last year's third-place finisher Lipowitz and double Olympic champion Evenepoel. Before the race, team boss Ralph Denk had emphasized: "Ich bin überzeugt, dass das sehr gut funktioniert", adding: "Ich glaube, wir können zuversichtlich sein." Lipowitz himself had also said before the stage: "Ich denke, dass die Zusammenarbeit gut funktioniert."

Sportingly, the stage was dominated by Tadej Pogacar, who once again showed a class of his own. Jonas Vingegaard finished in 2nd place, also leaving the rest of the field behind. According to the report's assessment, Evenepoel could at least have reached the Dane, but in the end he was missing 19 seconds on the Danish Giro winner.

Pogacar and Vingegaard pull away

The tensions between the two teammates come at a time when Red Bull is counting on a balanced distribution of roles between the experienced Evenepoel and the emerging Lipowitz. The internally announced talk on the evening of the stage is now intended to clarify how both riders can better coordinate their tactics in the upcoming mountain stages.

In the meantime, Evenepoel also received support from observers who see the incident as a typical example of the friction within a dual leadership. At Red Bull, they will therefore be watching closely to see whether the harmony of the first Tour weeks is preserved or whether the criticism will permanently weigh on the team's order.

Outlook for the high mountains

With a view to the upcoming stages in the high mountains, Lipowitz is considered the stronger rider, raising the question of whether the hierarchy within the team needs to be recalibrated. The distribution of roles between captain Evenepoel and his German helper could thus become the decisive factor for the remainder of the Tour.