Remco Evenepoel and teammate Florian Lipowitz settle Tour de France team clash
During the early mountain stages of the 2026 Tour de France, Belgian rider Remco Evenepoel accused German teammate Florian Lipowitz of refusing a lead‑out, leaving Evenepoel to finish fourth and sparking a visible tension within the Red Bull‑BORA‑Hansgrohe squad. Evenepoel said, “I asked for a kilometre of lead‑out and didn’t get it,” while Lipowitz argued the situation stemmed from a language barrier and race‑day fatigue.
The following day the pair appeared together in a team‑produced video, answering questions in the team bus. Evenepoel replied, “I finished fourth and Lipowitz sixth, that’s pretty good,” and both riders emphasized that the dispute was “all settled.” Team officials, including manager Ralph Denk, called the matter a minor internal issue that had been resolved.
Former team director Patrick Lefevere, who has worked with Evenepoel for years, remarked in a column that such frictions were “written in the stars” given the dual‑leadership model of the squad. Other cycling commentators, from former champions to journalists, noted that internal duels among co‑captains are not uncommon but can dominate race narratives.
Overall, the incident moved from on‑road friction to a managed media narrative, with the team emphasizing unity ahead of the upcoming Alpine stages.