“Leaving a huge void” – Red Bull’s Head of Performance Zak Dempster discusses Lipowitz, Evenepoel and the dream of winning the Tour

At Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe, joy and disappointment are currently unusually close together. While Remco Evenepoel is causing euphoria with strong performances, the Tour de France has ended prematurely for Florian Lipowitz after a serious crash.

Zak Dempster, the team’s Head of Performance, then spoke candidly with Sporza about the German’s condition, Evenepoel’s development, and the future of the two leaders.

Until his crash, Lipowitz had been having an impressive Tour. The German was sitting fifth in the general classification, still within reach of the podium, and he also delivered a strong time trial. Then came the moment that abruptly ended all hopes.

“I was at the hospital with him this morning,” Dempster reported. Lipowitz had broken his collarbone and underwent surgery on the evening of the crash. Now the recovery process begins.

The physical consequences of the crash seem manageable, but the sporting disappointment weighs heavily. Lipowitz and the team had big plans for the decisive days of the Tour. Whether the German could have defended his fifth place or even challenged for the podium will remain unanswered.

“We were all very optimistic about this week. That’s why this is really disappointing,” Dempster explained. The loss leaves a gap not just in sporting terms. Behind Lipowitz’s preparation were months of hard work—by him, by the team, and by his family and friends.

One moment was especially emotional for Dempster before the time trial. Even before Lipowitz set off, he sought out Evenepoel. The two shook hands and wished each other good luck.

“That was a really beautiful moment,” said Dempster. “It made me proud, as part of the team, to see that they came together.”

These words in particular are likely to make German and Belgian fans sit up and take notice. Ever since Evenepoel’s move to Red Bull, there has been ongoing discussion about how the Belgian superstar and Lipowitz would arrange themselves within one team. At the Tour, a cooperation seemed to be taking shape that opens up enormous possibilities for the future.

While Lipowitz must now work on his comeback, Evenepoel is generating excitement with his performances. Dempster was particularly impressed by his time trial.

“You can’t be surprised by his performance because he’s an exceptional stage racer. But I think yesterday was one of his best days,” the Australian said. Evenepoel rode calmly, implemented the feedback from the team car excellently, and delivered an absolutely top-tier performance at the end.

What is especially remarkable is that the Belgian can still ride at this level in the third week of the Tour. His earlier success gave him additional self-confidence.

When asked what Red Bull had changed with Evenepoel, Dempster didn’t want to single out any one factor. The progress is not the result of a secret training plan or a revolutionary method.

“We do the fundamentals well,” he said. The team developed a plan together that everyone involved could get behind. Evenepoel himself, however, bears the greatest responsibility.

“At the end of the day, he’s the one who has to put the team on his back in certain moments and deliver on the road. It was very nice to watch him do that.”

Dempster is also convinced that Evenepoel still has further room for development. After the Tour, the team will carefully analyze what worked and where improvements are possible.

On the decisive question, Dempster left no doubt. Can Remco Evenepoel win the Tour de France one day?

“Why not?” he replied. Evenepoel has already proven his extraordinary talent multiple times. Within the Red Bull structure, there are riders the team believes can win the Tour—and the Belgian explicitly belongs in that group.

But that could also be the biggest long-term challenge. With Evenepoel, Lipowitz, and Jai Hindley, Red Bull has several riders with general classification ambitions. As long as Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard dominate the race, shared interests can bind the team together. However, if Evenepoel and Lipowitz are both strong enough one day to fight for overall victory themselves, the team might have to make a difficult decision.

Dempster still looks to that future with optimism. The performance department brings together staff with different experiences and backgrounds. From this, Red Bull is increasingly developing its own way of working.

“We’re still at the very beginning,” he emphasized. “But I’m completely convinced that we will be a team to be reckoned with.”

For Lipowitz, tactical roles or the next Tour are not the priority for now. The key is recovery. Dempster made it clear that the team stands firmly behind the German.

“The sun will rise on the Monday after Paris as well, and there will be another Tour de France,” he had already told Lipowitz during the race. This time, the Tour ended in the hospital for the German. But his story with Red Bull and at the French Grand Tour is far from over.

Source: RadsportAktuell.de