"There will be a lot more to come in the next few years" - Simon Geschke puts a lot of faith in young Florian Lipowitz

When Florian Lipowitz switched from to cycing from biathlon, not many were convinced about the reports that the German rider could become one of the up and coming GC talents. But with 7th place at this year's Vuelta, while riding in support of winner Primoz Roglic and many more strong results, there's now no doubt Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe have got a gem on their hands.

"The way he rode at the Vuelta, there will be a lot more to come in the next few years," the experienced Simon Geschke told SID his thoughts about the young compatriot. The 38-year-old will be hanging up his bike at the end of 2024, but will continue to keep a close eye on 24-year-old Lipowitz's progression in seasons to come.

"He will certainly continue to concentrate on riding for the overall ranking in the Grand Tours in the future. It makes sense if you can ride in the top 10 to keep trying and aim for a better result in the next few years," said Geschke about Lipowitz. "How far he will get is of course the question." With competitors like Tadej Pogacar in mind, thoughts of a win are "of course very difficult."

Lipowitz shouldn't get stuck on that. If GC doesn't work, there are still other goals to chase after with his talent. "The development directions are always completely open. At the German Championships he showed that he is also a good one-day rider. The classics or the one-week tours are also interesting," said Geschke.

But for the time being, Geschke believes it'd be too early to forfeit on Grand Tour classifications: "If you have the engine to ride a three-week tour into the top 10, then I would keep working on it and put my focus on that."