Lipowitz sorry for Evenepoel after Catalunya queen stage as Vingegaard proves strongest

Lipowitz, who finished third behind Vingegaard and Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious), admitted to CyclingPro.net he felt for his teammate after the Belgian’s aggressive ride ultimately went unrewarded.

“Remco did an amazing job for me. I’m sad that I couldn’t follow Jonas and I think Remco had the legs to win the stage, I feel sorry for that.”

The race was blown open on the Collada de Sant Isidre, where Evenepoel imposed a relentless tempo that reduced the group of favourites and put pressure on the race leader. Lipowitz remained glued to his wheel as the peloton thinned out under the sustained effort.

The aggression continued over the top and into the descent, where Evenepoel pushed the pace again. The move briefly created separation, forcing a reaction behind as the race moved towards its finale.

“We went super fast on the last downhill. We saw there was quite a big gap and then Remco just kept pulling at the front and did an amazing job for me,” Lipowitz said.

By the time the riders reached the final climb to Queralt, the breakaway had been brought back and the stage was set for a showdown among the favourites. Evenepoel again took responsibility early on the ascent, setting a hard tempo with Lipowitz following closely.

Vingegaard, however, remained patient before launching his decisive move with 2.4 kilometres to go. Lipowitz attempted to respond but was unable to match the acceleration.

“I tried to follow Jonas, but in the end he was stronger. The gap was not too big, but he was just better,” he said.

Lipowitz rode at his own pace to the finish to secure a strong result, while Evenepoel’s earlier efforts began to show. The Belgian, who had been instrumental in shaping the stage, faded after his work on the climb and descent.

“I feel better day by day. Tomorrow is another really hard stage, so I hope the legs stay the same and we can finish it off well,” Lipowitz added.