Lipowitz Likely Out of Vuelta and World Championships Due to Collarbone Fracture

German cycling star Florian Lipowitz faces a significant setback after fracturing his collarbone during a time trial at the Tour de France. The injury, sustained on Tuesday, will sideline the 25-year-old for at least six weeks, making his participation in the season's final major events highly improbable.

Despite a second consecutive stage win for Remco Evenepoel on the Tour, Lipowitz's withdrawal cast a shadow over the team's success. Team leader Ralph Denk expressed his disappointment, stating, "We will miss him not only in the fight for the podium but also as a person. We won today, but this is not a moment of pure joy for me. I also feel sorry for Remco, as the conditions here are not exactly rosy." Denk acknowledged that Lipowitz's absence effectively ends the team's chances for overall victory.

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We will miss him not only in the fight for the podium but also as a person. Today we won, but this is not a moment of pure joy for me. I also feel sorry for Remco, as the conditions here are not exactly rosy.

Lipowitz, who finished third in last year's Tour de France, was visibly shaken by the crash. His season is now effectively over, with recovery expected to take a minimum of six weeks. This timeline makes it unlikely he can recover in time for the Vuelta a España (August 22 to September 13) or the World Championships in Montreal (September 20-27). In the best-case scenario, he might be able to compete in Italian one-day races in the fall, such as the Tour of Lombardy on October 10.

With Lipowitz out, the Red Bull-Pro Cycling team is now pinning its hopes on Evenepoel, who currently sits second overall, trailing Slovenian rider Tadej Pogačar by four minutes and 32 seconds. Denk, however, expressed pessimism about Evenepoel's chances of winning the Tour, stating, "I have always said that in case of any competitor problems, you must be ready to seize the opportunity. But in a direct duel, I see no chance of success." Meanwhile, all cyclists at the Tour de France underwent anti-doping tests during a rest day, as confirmed by the International Testing Agency (ITA).

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I have always said that in case of any competitor problems, you must be ready to seize the opportunity. But in a direct duel, I see no chance of success.