Tour: Lipowitz Shines, Ullrich in Awe
In the latest stage of the Tour de France, German cyclist Florian Lipowitz continued to impress, finishing sixth in the time trial in Caen. The 27-year-old, who rides for Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, demonstrated his prowess in the discipline, finishing just 58 seconds behind stage winner Remco Evenepoel.
Lipowitz's strong performance in the time trial has propelled him up the overall standings, moving from 20th to 9th. He is now just one second behind Slovenian Primoz Roglic in the general classification, with Frenchman Kevin Vauquelin in fourth, 59 seconds behind current leader Tadej Pogacar.
Pogacar, the double Olympic champion, regained his yellow jersey in the Tour de France after a consistent performance in the time trial. The Slovenian now leads the overall standings with a 1:13 minute advantage over Denmark's Jonas Vingegaard, with Evenepoel a close second, 42 seconds behind Pogacar.
Evenepoel, who started as the big favourite in the time trial, had already won the world championship in the time trial twice. His dominance in the discipline was evident, but Pogacar's second-place finish in the time trial around Caen showed that he remains a formidable competitor.
Lipowitz's time trial performance has not gone unnoticed, with Jan Ullrich, the only German Tour champion, expressing his admiration for the young cyclist. The stage before the mountain time trial, on July 16th, will see riders tackle a challenging 201.5 kilometers from Bayeux to Vire in Normandy, providing an opportunity for escapees to win.
The second and final time trial of the Tour will take place on July 18th, with a steep final climb to the airport in Peyragudes. With Lipowitz demonstrating his time trial abilities and closing in on the overall lead, the final weeks of the Tour de France promise to be exciting.
Lipowitz's impressive time trial performance has caught the attention of legendary cyclist Jan Ullrich, and as he moves closer to the overall lead, the final stages of the Tour de France are set to be thrilling, particularly with the second and final time trial approaching on July 18th. The steep final climb in Peyragudes could potentially determine the outcome of the race, with Lipowitz and other leading sports personalities vying for the yellow jersey.
