Remco Evenepoel to skip key Tour de France warm-up as Florian Lipowitz leads Red Bull race build-up

The preparation at Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe is taking two different directions ahead of the Tour de France, with Remco Evenepoel stepping away from racing while Florian Lipowitz continues his build-up in competition.

Evenepoel will not ride the Tour Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes, previously the Criterium du Dauphine. Instead, his programme shifts to recovery, reconnaissance and altitude training after a spring that included 25 race days.

“We decided together with Remco to take a break from racing after an intense spring,” said DS Zak Dempster in a team press release. “The goal is for him to arrive in Barcelona completely fresh. After analysing his 25 race days, we see greater benefit in a balanced alternative programme than in adding further race load.”

Evenepoel’s spring included a win at Amstel Gold Race, but also disruption. A crash at Volta a Catalunya interrupted his rhythm, and he was unable to follow the decisive move at Liege-Bastogne-Liege.

Lipowitz arrives in a different position. He has built consistent form through the spring stage races, finishing second at the Tour de Romandie after earlier podiums at Volta a Catalunya and Itzulia Basque Country.

He will take a short recovery break before heading to altitude, then race the Tour of Slovenia as his final test before July. “Florian has been extremely consistent across his last three stage races,” Dempster said. “We achieved the desired performance stimulus this spring, and most importantly, he gained a lot of confidence in the path we’ve mapped out together.”

Both riders remain part of the team’s general classification plan, but their form and preparation now differ. Lipowitz has delivered consistent stage race results and matched the strongest riders in the mountains this spring. Evenepoel brings time trial strength and race-winning explosiveness, but with fewer recent GC tests.

With Tadej Pogacar still setting the benchmark, Red Bull are balancing two approaches. Lipowitz will arrive with race sharpness. Evenepoel will arrive fresh.

The road will decide which plan leads to team leadership at the Tour de France.