"The battle is not over yet" - De Cauwer doesn't believe the Lipowitz-Evenepoel drama has been settled over a cup of tea
CyclingSaturday, 11 July 2026 at 09:00
The sixth stage of Tour de France had only one winner - and that was Tadej Pogacar who dealt a lethal blow to all his rivals in pursuit of a record-equalling fifth Tour de France title. Team Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe had two riders in the mix towards the finale and ultimately both Remco Evenepoel and Florian Lipowitz shared the same gap (2:57) at the finish.
However the situation escalated after finish line as the Olympic champion Evenepoel denounced his teammate as unwilling to make even the smallest of sacrifices after Evenepoel dragged the entire group through Tourmalet descent and following shallow final climb mostly on his own. All he asked from Lipowitz was a short launch in a sprint for third place. Evenepoel had to manage on his own and lost valuable bonification to Isaac del Toro.
"I rode on the front [for Lipowitz] for thirty kilometres in Catalunya, now I ask him to ride one kilometre on the front and that doesn’t happen. That did make me angry," Evenepoel vented his emotions right after the sixth stage, adding that: "This needs to be discussed properly tonight."
But the situation seems to have been solved at this "night meeting". At least according to the Belgian: "Everything has been cleared up between Lipowitz and me," Evenepoel told VTM NIEUWS before the start of stage 7.
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Who is the leader then
Now the situation is definitely anything but clear at the German team. Based on pre-race statements and nomination strategies, we can assess that their German talent Lipowitz was (and still is) indeed the team's number one choice for this Tour, however the margin between the two riders doesn't appear to be as decisive.
The truth is, that Lipowitz showed a better quality uphill as he crested the Col du Tourmalet in fourth place, alongside Paul Seixas. Meanwhile, Evenepoel was further behind and only came back using his engine.
"Lipowitz will be thinking: I reached the top of the Tourmalet first, so I am the stronger rider," José De Cauwer analyzed for Sporza. "On the descent and on the final climb, Remco was clearly better - or at least showed more ambition. They have not settled the matter yet," he estimates.
Red Bull wants Lipowitz to be their go-for man
The commentator also pointed out that Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe already set things up in favor of Lipowitz in run-up to the Grande Boucle. The "warm-up" start at Tour of Slovenia where Lipowitz claimed "easy" stage wins aside, the nomination of Nico Denz clearly reflected the German rider's own preferences.
"They have already intervened," De Cauwer explained. "Normally, they were going to bring Gianni Vermeersch instead of Nico Denz. There are videos in which we hear Vermeersch saying: 'I have to make sure I am in good form at the Tour so I can support this guy.' Then, all of a sudden, they chose Denz, even though Remco would have preferred Vermeersch as his guide in the peloton," De Cauwer continued.
Nico Denz was one of the late nominations for 2026 Tour de France
Legs will have to do the talking
For now, De Cauwer believes that Red Bull’s leadership won't be decided at least until the mountains speak again. Then, whoever does better in the next key stages is most likely to receive the team's full support.
"That battle is not over yet. The solution will not come from [sports director Klaas] Lodewyck either, because he is more closely aligned with Remco," he concluded. "It all still needs some time to develop, but eventually it should fall into place naturally."
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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