CyclingUpToDate Podcast: "Red Bull knew this when they brought both of their leaders to the Tour" - Remco Evenepoel and Red Bull's internal tension
CyclingSaturday, 11 July 2026 at 22:19
Remco Evenepoel has shown up to the start of the 2026 Tour de France at his best level, and the same can be said of Florian Lipowitz. However, with both riders looking to finish on the final podium, both riders' individual ambitions have come in the way of the team's dynamics. In this week's episode of the CyclingUpToDate Podcast, Rúben Silva and Carlos Silva have tackled the controversial statements of Remco Evenepoel.
Following stage 6, finishing in Gavarnie and passing by the Col du Tourmalet, the overall classification battle imploded and on the final climb, where the gradients were gentle, there was an opportunity for the group containing the duo to limit losses significantly to Tadej Pogacar - and potentially catch Jonas Vingegaard. None were achieved, despite the heated requests from Evenepoel.
Was tension inevitable at Red Bull?
The Olympic Champion, in a post-race interview, also put into question his teammates' motivations: “I asked for a lead-out and I didn’t get it. I think I was rightly angry. In the Tour of Catalonia, I rode on the front for thirty kilometers, now I ask him to ride one kilometer on the front and that doesn’t happen. That did make me angry, yes. That needs to be discussed properly tonight.”
Whilst this seems to have been talked out and resolved, it's clear there is internal tension in the team, and there isn't a clear direction moving forward in the race.
"I think that he is back at the level that he was last year. I don't think that it makes sense either for Evenepoel or Lipowitz to sacrifice themselves for the other," Rúben Silva argued. "It doesn't. It is an environment that leads to tension naturally. But well, Red Bull knew this, Red Bull knew this when they brought both of their leaders to the Tour".
The two riders are at a very similar level and the fight for the podium seems to be the most one can achieve. But the competition is rough, and despite having only eight stages in their belts, it's clear the Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe duo will have their work cut out just to replicate the result of previous years.
But this will be hard to manage for the team. "It is not the fact that they are bringing both of their leaders, they are just riders of a very similar level. And they both finished on the podium of the Tour in the previous few years. Finishing on the podium for both is what they want".
Red Bull's tactics come with an expiration date
"The strategy of Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe comes with an expiration date because as the race enters the decisive mountain stages, the team will eventually have to choose," Carlos Silva believes. "You cannot have two leaders with the same ambitions making different tactical decisions in the same group".
"Like we saw yesterday, at some point one rider needs full support while the other becomes the attacking option, or the super domestique. What makes the situation delicate is that Lipowitz is climbing with enormous confidence is what I see, if he continues to match or outperform Evenepoel in the high mountains."
As a climber, Lipowitz looked to be superior; but Evenepoel has the versatility and time trialing ability under his belt. A decision is impossible until the road itself makes differences. "If both riders generally believe they have equal status, the frustration is almost inevitable. When the tactical decision starts triggering one over the other, yeah I think the ambiguity is what destroys the team's harmony, not competition itself".
Remco Evenepoel and Florian Lipowitz cross the line together at the 2026 Tour de France
But there seems to be a difference in the mentality of the riders, as within the chasing group, Remco Evenepoel was by far the most active figure in trying to gather cohesion from his companions of occasion.
"He was the only guy who wanted to push and catch Vingegaard," Rúben Silva pointed out. "He was hot-headed, he was riding the climb, the other riders wouldn't work with him a lot. I don't thin that Lipowitz should do a massive pull for Evenepoel, it didn't make sense."
Hence, there is no solution in sight for the German team according to the duo, who will continue to share the same ambitions, whilst not having yet used their numbers against the competition.
"There is tension, period. In good Evenepoel fashion because Evenepoel, and thank god because I think it makes cycling more exciting. Evenepoel is one of the few riders who will actually speak his mind".
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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- I was never much of a Remco fan but I'm warming to him. It's refreshing to hear someone speak their mind even when it doesn't seem appropriate. Hope he doesn't change and go down the PC route.Santiago12-07-2026
- Let me correct your correction, a team (any reason you didn’t specify?) is no way near the same as the collective best of the rest of the bunch.Jumpyjohn12-07-2026
- Doesn't matter what strategy JV uses, he's not catching Tadej.zaz11-07-2026
- It has been mentioned that Jonas looked like he tried to get on the wheels of Pogi and IDT and just couldn't do it. I rewatched where they attacked and for a sec Jonas attempted (sure looked it) to jump to the wheels...and after 2 cranks knew he cracked and couldn't catch them. After that he looked broken and used up. Either he is sick or Pogi and IDT are just better than him. Watch his face after they start gaining time and the Pogi takes off from IDT. I would say Jonas looked like a broken man racing for 2nd at best. And I think a few other riders could be better than he is at this TDF. Lipowitz, IDT, Sexis (maybe) as well as a few othersmd197511-07-2026
- Let me correct this for you. No lone rider except Pogi would have stayed out front like that. Why do I say that? Because Pogi has literally been in a situation where a team was trying to chase him down and they couldn't. Reality is that he is really that good.md197511-07-2026
- Yes, it gets hotter as the afternoon progresses. Which is why it's unfortunate that the stage will be starting later than scheduled, wasting the less-hot part of the afternoon.Hills3311-07-2026
- Then do like most spectators at amateur races, just hang around at the finish.Jumpyjohn11-07-2026
- Correze has a refreshing 17 predicted for the night and a max of 37, same as a lot of places have been for a while and way below the last heatwave a few weeks ago. It took temps over 40 in the north for several days before the government forbade all sport outside air conditioned places. The thresholds are changing due to the political dangers of excess deaths but as with some ridiculous covid stats, few are willing to analyse rationally. Deaths by drowning have little to do with whether a temperature exceded a certain threshold, just like Covid didn’t kill you in a traffic accidentMistermaumau11-07-2026
- Actually, these days the hottest part of the day in France has been more like 4-6pm. 1pm is nowhere near the hottest part of the day. Also, this yellow/ orange/red classification by department is a lot more complex and refined than most imagine and not always directly related to max or wet bulb temp. It takes into consideration local averages because populations in different parts of the country are used to different maxima (visitor tolerances are therefore not considered), urbanisation, building quality and a whole range of factors to estimate the local general population’s risk. It is not all that useful to judge rider risk.Mistermaumau11-07-2026
- Slashed by 30km? More like timidly trimmed. The riders will still be out there during the hottest hours, from 2 to 5 pm.Hills3311-07-2026
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