"I'm delighted that they've managed to bring it to Paris" - Florian Lipowitz congratulates team on Tour podium as his recovery begins
Cycling
Florian Lipowitz entered the 2026 Tour de France with hopes of repeating his podium result from year earlier, but a crash in the final part of the stage 16 individual time trial spellt the end of his GC bid whilst sitting fifth overall.
In a tight corner where more than one rider had difficulty, Lipowitz slipped and crashed into barrier. The race was immediately over for the 25-year-old who withdrew with a broken collarbone.
"I am doing quite well, considering the circumstances. The surgery went well, I am already back home and focusing on recovery," explained the Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe rider on ARD.
Lipowitz admits that he still isn't completely pain-free one week since the crash: "I'm still struggling a bit with my back and breathing."
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No return date yet
The 25-year-old did not specify a timeline for his planned return. He also expressed his gratitude for the numerous messages of support he received after his crash.
"It's obviously wonderful to see that all the fans and others are encouraging me. That certainly gives me motivation to get back on my bike as soon as possible," Lipowitz emphasized.
Ultimately, Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe made it onto the final podium even without Lipowitz - thanks to their new 2026 recruit Remco Evenepoel who emerged the best among the rest after Jonas Vingegaard's abandon.
Lipowitz was part of that result, although he had to follow the last week from sidelines: "I fought alongside them for two weeks, and of course I'm delighted that they've managed to bring it home to Paris," he said.
"In the end, there’s a rider on the podium, but of course there’s a huge team behind him. Everyone can be proud of that, and I hope they celebrate properly in Paris today," said Lipowitz.
"A shame to not have Florian"
Team manager Ralph Denk was saddened by Lipowitz's absence from the celebrations in Paris. "It hurts a bit. I've missed Florian. I would have liked to have him here. I think Florian would have played a big role last weekend," Denk told ARD.
Denk said Lipowitz did a "fantastic job": "He arrived here in superb form. I still feel sorry for him that he had to go home like that. But he knows what it feels like to stand on the podium here. I would sincerely wish him the best if he were to stand on the podium here again sometime."
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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- I get the point totally. We live in the snowflake society where some riders forget they are getting paid to ride and get results. When they have a few issues they try to look outside of the real issue instead of themselves. It odd so many of the team are making no complaints and getting on with their job. If you do not like what you do find another job simples. Tough love as my mum would say.paultryan200207-11-2026
- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
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