"Personally, I think Florian is better" - Jan Ullrich backs Lipowitz over Evenepoel for Red Bull's Tour leadership
Cycling
This year's Tour de France will seem to host two separate battles; one for the overall title between Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard, and then a clash of multiple contenders for the last podium spot. Among them, the 1997 Tour de France champion Jan Ullrich favours compatriot Florian Lipowitz to defend his result of last year.
"The podium is definitely possible again," Ullrich told Sport Bild: "In the spring, he rode with the best, and most recently he won the Tour of Slovenia convincingly. The important thing is that he gets through the first week unscathed."
Compared to last year, the competition is even fiercer with Paul Seixas leading the charge. Ullrich assesses that good cooperation between Red Bull's star names; Florian Lipowitz, Remco Evenepoel and Jai Hindley will be key to the German's success. Former Giro winner Hindley has been used in this role in the past, but is the former Vuelta champion Evenepoel ready to suppress his own ambition?
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"You could already see it in the spring. Remco wasn't too proud to do support work for Florian," said Ullrich, explaining: "In the end, it's the legs that decide it, regardless of the captain's role. Personally,c."
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Lipowitz may win the Tour one day
Lipowitz had quite an unusual career path. Having picked up cycling only at the age of 20, the German's rise immediately caught the eye of BORA managers who have brought the former biathlete on board in 2023 to closely monitor his progress.
Thanks to Lipowitz's relatively short time in the world of cycling, the 52-year-old believes it's possible that Lipowitz could one day succeed Ullrich as the German Tour de France winner.
"He's only in his fourth year as a professional cyclist. Therefore, I think he'll continue to develop and become even stronger. He hasn't reached his peak yet. He has a fantastic team around him and is on a really good path," Ullrich stated.
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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