“A lot of time you miss family and friends – we spend almost 1,000 hours a year on the bike”: why Florian Lipowitz still loves riding

Third place at the Tour de France transformed Florian Lipowitz from a respected stage race talent into one of the most talked-about riders in the peloton.

With that breakthrough came attention, expectations and pressure, but the German insists his relationship with cycling has not changed at its core.

Speaking to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung, Lipowitz made it clear that success has not altered his perspective on life away from the bike. “Cycling is one thing, but it is not everything for me. There are phases when it is stressful and everything revolves around it. But I also need phases when cycling takes a back seat.”

Rather than embracing the hype that followed his Tour de France podium, the 25-year-old has consciously stepped back. He acknowledged the growing scrutiny but stressed that most of the pressure already comes from within. “You already put enough pressure on yourself because you want to perform well. That is why I try to shut myself off from it and not think too much.”

Lipowitz also pushed back against the idealised picture often associated with life as a professional cyclist. Training camps in Mallorca or Tenerife may sound idyllic, but he highlighted the cost that comes with that lifestyle.

“It always sounds nice when you say you are at a training camp in Mallorca or Tenerife for three weeks. But you do sacrifice a lot,” said the stage race specialist from Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe. “We are on the road for many days every year. It is a lot of time you miss with family and friends. That is why you can only do this if you really enjoy it and if cycling also gives a lot back to you.”

For Lipowitz, enjoyment remains the decisive factor. “We spend almost 1,000 hours a year on the bike. If you do not enjoy that, you would not do it,” he explained, while admitting that motivation is not always immediate. “There are also days when the weather is bad and five hours are on the schedule, when it takes a bit longer to actually head out.”

That mindset also shaped his decision to end his 2025 season early, stepping away from racing to reset mentally. At the time, Lipowitz said he wanted to “completely clear his head”, a choice that now appears aligned with his broader approach to balancing ambition with perspective.

The coming season will bring fresh internal competition following the arrival of Belgian star Remco Evenepoel, but Lipowitz’s comments suggest his focus remains grounded. Success, attention and expectations may fluctuate, yet his motivation still comes from a simpler place: enjoying the act of riding his bike, even when the demands of the sport grow heavier.