Remco Evenepoel angry with teammate Florian Lipowitz after Tour de France mountain stage

After the sixth mountain stage (Col du Tourmalet) of the 2026 Tour de France, Belgian rider Remco Evenepoel publicly criticised his Red Bull‑BORA‑Hansgrohe teammate Florian Lipowitz. Evenepoel said he had asked Lipowitz for a kilometre of lead‑out work, which was not provided, adding “I was angry – and rightly so” and recalling a similar issue during the Catalonia race. The two co‑captains finished the stage together, with Evenepoel fourth and Lipowitz seventh in the general classification, about 3 minutes 30 seconds behind race leader Tadej Pogačar. Team manager Ralph Denk downplayed the incident, stating that the riders had spoken, laughed together at dinner and that a language barrier had contributed to the misunderstanding. Denk affirmed that the team’s dual‑leadership plan remains unchanged and that the episode will not affect their podium ambitions.

The clash highlights the challenges of managing two high‑profile climbers within a single squad and adds a human‑interest angle to the Tour’s broader narrative of Pogačar’s dominance.