Florian Lipowitz shows form at Paris-Nice as Jonas Vingegaard falters: “I hope he’s well and not having bigger problems. I hope he’s okay”

Florian Lipowitz spoke to Cycling Pro Net at the finish of Stage 5 of Paris-Nice, reflecting on a tough day that saw Lenny Martinez take the victory, while Jonas Vingegaard struggled. Lipowitz put in a strong performance himself, securing fifth place on a stage that featured a steep and explosive final climb.

"I didn’t think I could go this well on this climb because I always struggle a bit on those short and steep kickers, but I was surprised that I could hang on with the best guys up here," Lipowitz admitted after the stage. His result was an encouraging sign of his climbing progress, as he measured himself against some of the top riders in the race.

The win for Lenny Martinez did not come as a shock to Lipowitz, who recognised the Frenchman's ability on this kind of terrain. "I was also surprised to know Lenny Martinez won the stage. He was one of the riders we knew could do something. We knew he’s super fast on these short and punchy climbs, so he deserved the win," he explained.

Earlier in the stage, a crash impacted the race, and when asked about it, Lipowitz admitted he did not see much of the incident but wished the affected riders well. "I didn’t see much, but I hope he’s well and not having bigger problems. I hope he’s okay."