'Finishing on the podium would be incredible' - Florian Lipowitz continues to impress at Dauphiné

Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) finished third on stage 7 of the Critérium du Dauphiné to Valmeinier 1800 and further cemented his position on the third step of the podium with one final mountain stage remaining. Lipowitz sits third overall, 2:21 behind race leader Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), but crucially 1:50 ahead of Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) in fourth.

"It was a super hard day from the start again. I was really happy with my legs again and with the way we raced as a team," said Lipowitz after crossing the line atop Valmeinier 1800.

The German rider measured his effort well on the final ascent. Not for the first time on this Dauphiné, he delivered a composed display. "I paced myself on the last climb. I suffered a lot in the last five kilometres, and I was really happy when I saw the last kilometre mark. Finishing third is a really good result for me," Lipowitz said.

With one final mountain stage to come, Lipowitz has the opportunity to secure what would be the biggest result of his career so far, particularly considering the competition. The achievement is all the more remarkable given his relatively late entrance to professional racing after a stint as a biathlete. Lipowitz seems confident but also remains cautious with the difficult profile of Sunday's finale. 

"I hope to have the same legs tomorrow. Finishing on the podium of the Critérium du Dauphiné would be incredible but tomorrow is another really hard day," he admitted.

Despite his impressive performance leading to talks of the German being a potential co-leader contender at the Tour de France for Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe alongside Primož Roglič, Lipowitz insists he's not yet focusing on cycling's biggest race just yet. Even so, the signs for both the present and future seem very bright for German cycling's new star Lipowitz.

"So far, I don't really think about the Tour. I really focus on this race and then we still have a bit of time to get ready," he said.