“Not a big drama... his time will come” – Jan Ullrich defends Florian Lipowitz after early Tour de France losses and insists “long climbs will be Lipo’s climbs”
Cycling
Jan Ullrich has defended Florian Lipowitz after the German lost more time over the opening two stages of the 2026 Tour de France, insisting the Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe rider has not yet reached the terrain where he can show his best level.
Lipowitz conceded 16 seconds to teammate Remco Evenepoel in the stage 1 team time trial, before losing further ground on the Montjuic finale in Barcelona on stage 2. After two days, he is already 30 seconds behind Evenepoel and 45 seconds off Jonas Vingegaard’s yellow jersey.
Speaking on Eurosport’s Velo Club, Ullrich argued that the sharp, explosive climb in Barcelona was never likely to suit Lipowitz as much as the riders who thrive on shorter accelerations.
“I think for Lipo it was good that on the steep climb the attacks were not really made properly yet,” said the 1997 Tour de France winner. “He was able to hold on there. That is simply not his territory, he is not so fresh there. His time will come. The long climbs will be Lipo’s climbs.”
Ullrich warns bigger gaps were possible
Stage 2 always looked like a difficult early test for Lipowitz. The final climb on Montjuic was short, steep and explosive, better suited to riders such as Tadej Pogacar, Isaac del Toro and Evenepoel than to a rider expected to be more dangerous on longer mountain ascents.
UAE Team Emirates – XRG controlled the finale before Del Toro took victory ahead of Pogacar, with Evenepoel third and Vingegaard fourth. Lipowitz limited the damage, but still slipped further behind the riders already shaping the early GC picture.
Ullrich believes the gap could have been much bigger had the favourites opened the race earlier on the steepest part of the climb. “If the attacks had come earlier today on the steep section of the climb, he could also have lost half a minute,” Ullrich said.
Lipowitz’s first two stages have therefore brought losses, but not on the terrain where the German is expected to build his Tour challenge. The longer Alpine and Pyrenean climbs remain the more important test.
Ullrich is a former Tour de France winner
“Not a big drama”
Robert Bengsch also pushed back against any early panic around Lipowitz’s start. While Evenepoel has made the better opening inside Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe, Bengsch pointed to the type of finales the Tour has offered so far.
“Yesterday and today, with the final climb, the advantage was with Remco,” said the Eurosport expert. “He has lost a few seconds now, but that is not a big drama. His time will come, so I am completely relaxed about it.”
Rolf Aldag was similarly unconcerned by Lipowitz’s early deficit. The former sports director still expects the German to move closer to the front of the race once the Tour reaches terrain more suited to his climbing profile. “He will come, there is absolutely no question for me that he will be up there at the end,” Aldag said.
For now, Evenepoel has taken early internal momentum, Vingegaard remains in yellow, and Pogacar has already moved to within six seconds of the race lead after Barcelona.
Lipowitz now heads deeper into the Tour needing the long climbs to confirm Ullrich’s view. The first gaps have opened, but the stages most likely to define his GC challenge are still ahead.
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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