Tour de France: Remco Evenepoel criticizes teammate Florian Lipowitz

A disagreement has surfaced between Remco Evenepoel and Florian Lipowitz, co-captains for the Red Bull cycling team, following the initial challenging mountain stage of the Tour de France. Evenepoel publicly voiced his dissatisfaction, stating he was "angry – and rightly so."

“

Yes, I was angry – and rightly so. During the Tour of Catalonia, I rode at the front for him for 30 kilometers. I asked for one kilometer of leading, but that wasn't possible. That annoyed me, and that's something we need to discuss thoroughly tonight.

Evenepoel cited an incident during the Tour of Catalonia in March, where he claimed to have ridden at the front for 30 kilometers in support of Lipowitz's efforts to defend his third-place overall standing. "I asked for one kilometer of leading, but that wasn't possible. That annoyed me, and that's something we need to discuss thoroughly tonight," Evenepoel was quoted as saying in Belgian media.

The public criticism from Evenepoel, a double Olympic champion, is notable, especially given that he joined the team this season. Doubts had previously been raised by experts about the potential for friction between him and Lipowitz. The situation was particularly galling for Evenepoel as he not only lost time to top contenders Pogačar and Vingegaard on the Tourmalet but also finished nearly 20 seconds behind Lipowitz, indicating the German rider's strength in high-altitude conditions.

“

I believe we can be confident.

Despite the apparent tension, Lipowitz initially stated after the stage that his collaboration with Evenepoel had gone well, expressing optimism. However, team manager Ralph Denk has since asserted that the co-captains have resolved their conflict. "The two guys talked about it. There's nothing major now. They sat together at dinner and laughed," Denk said in the team's podcast, downplaying the incident. He attributed the friction to "a bit of disagreement, a language barrier," and the heat of the moment after a demanding 180-kilometer mountain stage.

“

The two guys talked about it. There's nothing major now. They sat together at dinner and laughed. The issue is being made bigger than it really was.