Tour de France: Tour debutant Lipowitz: Short peace after the first storm

Florian Lipowitz had to make a difference in order to drown out the buzzing vacuum cleaner in the hotel hall. The German Rad-Jungstar took a seat in a conference room near the Toulouse Airport, answered the questions of the media representatives, but was also looking forward to some time on the first day of rest at the 112nd Tour de France.

“Especially after the first stages, I didn’t feel quite as good, I doubted me a bit,” said the 24-year-old tour debut and former biathlete. “But I’m also happy with the day off today. I mean, ten days at a time are very exhausting.”

Huge media interest, tens of thousands of fans on the routes, more risks of the drivers compared to other races: “That overwhelms you at the beginning,” said Lipowitz about the intensive impressions.

Visit to parent, “cozy” training trip and afternoon nap

So the day off came just right. His parents had traveled and there was a “very cozy” training trip with his colleagues. Then lunch and a nap.

Over the racing-free day, however, the most question of how the sporty management of the Red Bull team deals with the distribution of roles at the top. In addition to the experienced Slovenian Primoz Roglic, the aspiring Lipowitz should actually gain experience. The team wants to develop the sensitive young man, who once laid a bike 100 kilometers to convince team boss Ralph Denk. Denk recently referred to Lipowitz as a top round driver as a “heart project”.

The cycling entrepreneur, who recently celebrated third place on the Dauphiné tour behind the superstars Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard, has so far been strong on the tour. Even slightly better than the four-time Vuelta winner Roglic. In the overall ranking, Lipowitz is the eighth seven seconds before the ninth Roglic and 3:34 minutes behind the leading Irish Ben Healy, who probably only pushed out defending champion Pogacar from the top for a short time. The Red Bull team has the third overall rank in view.

Lipowitz: “Would call me a noble helper”

However, both athletes seem to get along well. On the one hand the experienced Roglic – known for its falls – and on the other side the ambitious Lipowitz. He has only been on cycling for six years and is still under – still.

“I would call myself a noble helper. I think the roles are very clear,” he said. “I mean, it’s my first tour. I think I just succeeded in Paris,” added the Swabian native. “I can learn so much, especially from a driver like Primoz,” he clarified. “We get along quite well. I mean, we are both from winter sports. Maybe that also connects a bit,” said Lipowitz. Roglic is also a career changer, used to be a ski jumper.

The team should spontaneously decide spontaneously with the upcoming Pyrenees and Alpine challenges, who will end up in the overall ranking in the end, should Lipowitz Roglic leave behind. “That has to show up first. We are a team, then it will be discussed,” said Lipowitz cautiously.

ALDAG: Lipowitz “take a little bit in the reins”

His sporting director Rolf Aldag slowed the youngster after the tenth stage. “Here and there we have to take it a little again in the reins that he does not react too quickly, because the direct competitors are actually clear. And you don’t have to drive after everyone”. At the Dauphiné, Lipowitz “showed world class,” said Aldag. “We just know that, but that’s why we should still be careful, because so far we haven’t driven a single big mountain.”

On Thursday, the mountainous stage start in the Pyrenees on the twelfth stage a large strength sample. On Friday, the tricky mountain range trial with the steep climb to the airfield in Peyragudes. With the short -term calm, it is over for Lipowitz again beforehand.