“It is laughable... simply unprofessional” – Robbie McEwen and Jens Voigt fear lasting damage as Evenepoel-Lipowitz row threatens Red Bull’s Tour de France harmony
Cycling
Robbie McEwen has branded Remco Evenepoel’s public attack on Florian Lipowitz “laughable” and “simply unprofessional”, despite Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe insisting the tension between their Tour de France co-leaders has already been resolved. Lipowitz had outclimbed Evenepoel on the Tourmalet only hours before the Belgian demanded his support in the fight for bonus seconds.
Jens Voigt is equally unconvinced by the rapid reconciliation. The German fears a “small, simmering conflict” may now be impossible to extinguish after only seven stages.
McEwen turns on Evenepoel after public criticism
Evenepoel and Lipowitz spoke privately after their Stage 6 disagreement, sat together at dinner and appeared in a reconciliation video released by Red Bull. Both riders have since played down the incident.
“His memory is one of convenience. I’m not a fan of that sort of behaviour within a team,” the 12-time Tour stage winner said on TNT Sports. “If you are going to say it, just wait until you get on the bus. It was out of line. Honestly, it is laughable when someone carries on like that after the finish line about a team-mate. It is simply unprofessional.”
Four bonus seconds were available for third place at Gavarnie-Gedre. Tadej Pogacar had already disappeared towards a dominant victory, while Jonas Vingegaard finished 19 seconds ahead of the next group.
Isaac del Toro won the sprint for third, beating Evenepoel and collecting the bonus. The Belgian had asked Lipowitz to provide a one-kilometre lead-out but did not receive it.
Red Bull brought Evenepoel and Lipowitz to the Tour as co-leaders, with their performances on the road set to determine how the hierarchy developed. On the first serious climbing day, Lipowitz followed Del Toro and Paul Seixas when Evenepoel lost contact on the Tourmalet. The Belgian regained the group on the descent. Lipowitz reached Stage 7 only 30 seconds behind his teammate overall.
Remco Evenepoel and Florian Lipowitz at the 2026 Tour de France team presentation
“A small, simmering conflict”
Del Toro now occupies third overall for UAE Team Emirates – XRG, with Evenepoel still fighting to dislodge him from the final podium position.
“They’re all very close together and really need every second. I understand Remco’s frustration at having given away those four seconds and third place to Isaac del Toro,” said Voigt, a two-time Tour stage winner working for TNT Sports from the television moto during this year’s race. “Never, never, never do you criticise your team. I’m afraid there’s now a small, simmering conflict that can no longer be extinguished.”
Red Bull CEO Ralph Denk blamed a combination of post-stage emotion and a possible language barrier after more than 180 kilometres of mountain racing. He said the teammates had talked, sat together at dinner and were laughing by the end of the evening.
Lipowitz said the pair had settled the matter on the team bus and insisted the atmosphere remained good. Evenepoel also criticised the lack of cooperation in the pursuit of Vingegaard, believing the Dane could have been caught before the final climb.
Evenepoel invokes 30-kilometre Catalunya sacrifice
Evenepoel invoked the work he had performed for Lipowitz earlier in the season when discussing the missed lead-out. “I had asked for a leadout, and I didn’t get one,” Evenepoel told Sporza. “Yes, I was angry, and rightly so."
“In the Volta a Catalunya, I rode on the front for him for 30 kilometres. I asked him to ride on the front for one kilometre, and that wasn’t possible. That made me angry, and it will have to be thoroughly discussed tonight.”
Evenepoel remains fourth overall, three seconds behind Del Toro. Lipowitz sits seventh at 4:00, exactly 30 seconds behind his teammate, with Red Bull still publicly committed to the co-leadership arrangement it brought to the Tour.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- as we all like the david-style rebels, he will leave a gap.Ketterechts12-11-2026
- Oy, don't insult girlsHills3312-11-2026
- lol yeah. this is a good onemij12-11-2026
- Mads is the best: I didn’t even know there were rules in cyclocross. I just thought it was a matter of: ‘Go, three, two, one, ride.’ It’s like a street fight, a kind of underground brawl. It’s the MMA of cycling he gives the best quotes.mij12-11-2026
- he's too young. he's 23, so not really a fair call yet.mij12-11-2026
- and don't forget Pidcock's departure. maybe he will never win a GT, but he knows how to light up a race.mij12-11-2026
- Bingo...I was going to say a 12 year obsessed Pogi fan girlie ! Like she's chasing a teen boy band! All glossy eyed about tadej!frieders312-11-2026
- That stint in the Pink was so good. If memory serves he struggled with the champagne cuz he'd never been on the podium before. I feel like it gave him some self-belief, and yeah - then the move to Visma to be one of their lieutenants has really brought him to the best version of himself.wrsty12-11-2026
- So, you never really compared Paul Seixas with his main rival Isaac Del Toro why jump to Pogačar? They've (Paul & Isaac) raced together here and there, and they've both shared in wins and losses, I think they should be compared to each other, even with Vingegaard and Remco first before even touching Pogačar. From your writing it's like he's better than Vingegaard, Remco and Del Toro already that his main target is now Pogačar 🤔Sadick11-11-2026
- gee i hope its a minor injury. a great rider and ambassador for the sport. get well soon Lucinda.
Davide11-11-2026
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