“He was going far too fast in the corner" - Red Bull team manager explains Lipowitz crash as he suffers broken collarbone at Tour de France
Cycling
Florian Lipowitz is out of the Tour de France after breaking his collarbone following a split-second crash during Tuesday's time trial. The Red Bull - BORA Hansgrohe rider, who finished on the podium last summer, had been riding well in fifth place in the general classification.
After his front wheel slipped around a sharp right-hand bend, Lipowitz apparently landed with full force on his shoulder. The German rider initially remained lying on the road. How seriously he was injured was not immediately known after the accident.
In the aftermath, it was confirmed that he suffered a broken collarbone as a result of the crash. Team manager Ralph Denk spoke about the incident before it was confirmed that the injury was a broken collarbone and the rider was on his way to hospital.
"I haven't seen or spoken to him since the crash," he said on the Inside Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe podcast.
"He's doing well, considering the circumstances, but it's probably more than just abrasions."
Corner almost catches out Pogacar
The corner in question also nearly caught out Tadej Pogacar just a few minutes later, with the yellow jersey brake-checking as he also came into the corner with considerable pace. Denk noted that Lipowitz was riding the time trial on the limit and was making gains on Paul Seixas in the fight for GC.
“Tadej Pogacar also worked his magic in the corner and demonstrated great driving skills, otherwise he would have crashed too,” Denk added.
“We had all the intermediate times, and the carefree Paul Seixas, who is considered a downhill prodigy, was slower than Florian on the descent. That means he was already pushing himself to the limit on the descent before the accident corner.”
Denk believes Lipowitz's incident was a racing incident and happened purely in the heat of the moment, refusing to lay blame on team, organisers or rider.
Florian Lipowitz Tour de France 2026 stage 6
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“He was going far too fast in the corner. Unfortunately, Florian was too optimistic, and I don't see anyone else as being at fault. This is a racing accident in the heat of the moment.”
It was a rollercoaster few minutes for the team given Remco Evenepoel was surging behind, ultimately sealing an emphatic stage win and gaining 28 seconds on yellow jersey Pogacar. However, it wasn't a part atmosphere for the German team in a bittersweet evening.
Denk added: "He rode a brutally strong race, won again ahead of Pogacar, but there wasn't really a stage-winning atmosphere for us on the ride back to the hotel. That's a shame for Remco, but also for Florian, that he can't continue."
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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