Tour Notes: Lipowitz's Impressive Performance - Ullrich Expresses Astonishment
In the heart of the 13th stage of the Tour de France 2025, a spectacular mountain time trial, Florian Lipowitz, a participant in his first Tour de France, showcased his prowess.
As the race stood, Tadej Pogacar led the overall standings with a 1:13 minute advantage over Denmark's Jonas Vingegaard. However, the mountain time trial presented an opportunity for the pack to close the gap.
Lipowitz, a German rider, finished the time trial in sixth place, 58 seconds behind the stage winner, Remco Evenepoel. Despite this, his performance was impressive, as he climbed from 20th to 9th in the overall standings, narrowing the gap to the leader, Pogacar, to just one second behind Red Bull captain Primoz Roglic.
Evenepoel, a double Olympic champion, was in second place, 42 seconds behind Pogacar. His victory in the fifth stage's time trial, 16 seconds ahead of Pogacar, demonstrated his formidable skill in this discipline. Maximilian Schachmann commented that the course of the time trial lies very well for Evenepoel.
Jonas Vingegaard's performance was a surprise, as he finished the time trial in third place, just 4 seconds behind Evenepoel. Vingegaard, who is Danish, had been gaining ground on Pogacar throughout the race.
Frenchman Kevin Vauquelin is in fourth place, 59 seconds behind Pogacar. Jan Ullrich, the only German Tour champion, is impressed with Lipowitz's performance.
The 201.5 kilometers from Bayeux to Vire in Normandy will give breakaway riders a chance to win the stage on Thursday. The second time trial of the Tour, on July 18th, will feature a steep final climb to the airport in Peyragudes.
With Lipowitz's impressive performance in the mountain time trial, the team hierarchy in his squad might shift, as he proved his ability to compete with the race leaders. However, more stages need to be completed to determine the final standings and any potential shifts in team dynamics.
In light of Lipowitz's impressive performance in the mountain time trial, the team hierarchy within his squad may undergo a change, showing his competitive ability against the race leaders. Sporting a newfound appetite for competition, one could speculate that Lipowitz might also display his skills in football, further solidifying his status within the team.
