"We all say things that we might regret 24 hours later" - Bradley Wiggins defends Evenepoel after intense quotes on teammate Lipowitz
CyclingSaturday, 11 July 2026 at 11:31
The tensions at Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe have been one of the most prominent stories of the Tour de France throughout its opening days, culminating with Remco Evenepoel's criticism of his own teammate Florian Lipowitz on the Col du Tourmalet stage. Lance Armstrong, Bradley Wiggins and George Hincapie have discussed the situation.
Right after the end of stage 6, the Belgian spoke out to Belgian media with a very strong tone. On the final climb to Gavarnie, there was a less-than-ideal collaboration in the Evenepoel group which got him frustrated, and it didn't help when his teammate Florian Lipowitz didn't respond in the way Evenepoel had wanted.
“I asked for a lead-out and I didn’t get it. I think I was rightly angry. In the Tour of Catalonia, I rode on the front for thirty kilometers, now I ask him to ride one kilometre on the front and that doesn’t happen. That did make me angry, yes. That needs to be discussed properly tonight.”
The words quickly gained traction and the tension between the Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe block looked to have grown to the level many feared. At the start of stage 7 the duo and several staff members talked about a talked and resolved situation, however it is something that has left a mark in the Tour's opening week.
“Johan [Bruyneel] sent this to us on WhatsApp, and I simply could not resist responding. I wrote back ‘whiner extraordinaire'," Lance Armstrong said on The Move podcast. “Johan replied ‘former football player’, which is true".
Remco Evenepoel during the ongoing Tour de France
Wiggins argues Evenepoel talked in the heat of the moment
It is not the first time that Remco Evenepoel has had such moments following races; whilst at the Tour de France's pre-race press conference, he responded in a less positive way to several questions from the journalists - with a similar tone.
Bradley Wiggins, who has spent many years in a similar position in the peloton, understands his fellow Olympic Champion's situation: “We have all experienced those frustrations immediately after the finish, when things that were supposed to happen did not happen".
"What I would say in Remco’s defense is that, within a few minutes of crossing the line, a microphone is immediately put in front of his face.” Nevertheless, the statements left a negative mark on the team, whose tactics and ability to cooperate strongly have been put into question.
Wiggins believes that Evenepoel likely regretted his words following the stage. “At a moment like that, we all say things that we might regret 24 hours later. Unfortunately, that is part of the sport," he argues.
"The problem for Remco is that a quote like that is immediately on the front pages the following day. It instantly adds fuel to all the stories that were already circulating about him before the start of the Tour".
Read also
Tour de France's high-pressure environment might have triggered Evenepoel
Quite possibly, this also happened due to the natural tension that builds up throughout the Tour de France, from the stressful days before the race including the large press conference; to the daily media tasks that surround the race itself.
It has happened in the past that Evenepoel shares his true thoughts on the microphone, but according to George Hincapie, there are things that are best left to discuss internally - not with the media.
“Yes, you probably should not say something like that. You can be angry, but you absolutely should not say it publicly," the former American pro argues.
"He rode on the front for Lipowitz throughout Catalunya, so from that perspective, he had a point. But some of his frustration also came from the fact that the cooperation in that group was not working properly.”
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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