Florian Lipowitz rode his way into the hearts of many cycling fans at the Tour de France 2025. With his bold riding style, obvious passion for the sport and impressive mountain form, he has indicated that he can play more than just a supporting role in the future. Despite some weaknesses, the young German appears to be a diamond in the rough - with the potential to compete for overall victory in the next Tour.
1. Diamong in the rough with a lot of potential
Florian Lipowitz is still young and inexperienced. But that is precisely what makes him so exciting: he has already shown impressive performances, even though he lacks important racing instincts and experience. Anyone who watches him realizes that there is much more to him.
2. Pure passion - even after the race
His brother once revealed that Lipowitz prefers to ride his bike for two days after a victory, simply to enjoy the ride. This passion for cycling is the basis for long-term success - and it cannot be trained.
3. Lack of racing technique - he holds the handlebars up too much
Lipowitz often keeps his hands on top of the handlebars - a position that is considered aerodynamically unfavourable. He obviously still lacks the coaching to optimize such technical details - a small trick that can have a big impact specially outside the mountains.
4. Too correct in the catering
In the professional peloton, efficiency is everything - even when reaching for a water bottle. While other riders are briefly pushed off by the support staff, Lipowitz takes his bottles almost politely. This seems likeable, but costs valuable energy, especially in long mountain stages. The same applies here: technique can be learned.
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5. Uncertainty on the descents
Lipowitz is a weak downhill rider - not out of fear, but due to a lack of racing experience. He has completed many kilometers as a hobby rider in road traffic, but that is no substitute for speed and line choice on closed race tracks. On the descents, he grabs the handlebars too early, loses time - and then has to make up for it on the mountain. Fortunately, this is precisely his greatest strength.
What Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe must do now
To ensure that Florian Lipowitz becomes a genuine candidate for overall victory in upcoming tours, the responsibility now lies with the team. Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe has the know-how and the structures to specifically shape this exceptional talent. Lipowitz is a strong climber with an enormous physical engine - he has proven this several times. Combined with his time-trial strength, he has the profile of a true Grand Tour rider.
The weaknesses identified are not fundamental problems, but details - technical elements that can be improved quickly with the right support. An experienced coach, a few targeted training camps, more race kilometers in a leading position: all this can make the decisive difference.
Because one thing is clear: Florian Lipowitz is a natural talent in the purest sense of the word. If he keeps up his learning curve, Germany could soon be celebrating its next Grand Tour winner - and not just in five years' time.
Original: Pascal Michiels.
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Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- He is boring
leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Uwielbiam patrzeć, jak wyjeżdża na czoło peletonu i zaczyna się rzeź...Dariusz08-11-2026
- Yeah, unreal.
parisbound0008-11-2026 - there needs to be space in life for pointless comments!Ketterechts08-11-2026
- That is a very lazy way of putting it but so far on this website it seems like everyone is happy to look at everything lazily, even things that annoy them intensely. All they want to do is state their feeling and position but ask most to analyse a problem or come up with solutions or improvements and you’re stunned by silence. Nobody even really knows how this all happens. It’s very simple and quick to just say the UCI did it but I bet you they didn’t, I bet you not more than 2 people were involved, more likely just 1. The UCI may be ultimately responsible but it is not their decision, this is about hierarchy, power and delegation. The fact that protest is possible also means it isn’t over and that MORE people could get involved for a thorough review which could throw up anything. It is highly likely it was a sole commissar who decided and has that power in a first round. Therein might lie the problem the UCI has to consider, is it acceptable to give so much authority to one single person when it is quite possible for them to have a natural bias or be too easily susceptible to imposed bias. Who is to say an individual in this position isn’t susceptible to collaboration with outside players with interests in the results, nations, families, teams, betting companies, etc. On the one hand we have sports where these problems have been worked on way more to reduce such problems, on the other hand we have sports with far stricter and more draconian rules not even concerning safety or obstruction that nobody really questions like false starts or stepping out of lane or zones in athletics. If cycling hastowork on itself, it would be good if protagonists (all kinds) would start doing a little more than just moaning over outcomes.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- Yes, so why not make comments less pointless?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
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Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - There really was nothing in it. Schreiber was so much faster, and Brand was fighting to stay in the wheel in the sprint. Schreiber did move a bit, but to say she closed the door doesn't make sense because Brand couldn't enter it anyway, abd she wasn't impeded.Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026
- He should have been allowed to go to Movistar. Right now both arent a good fit for each other and are just wasting each other's time and effortabstractengineer08-11-2026
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