‘What happened yesterday is in the past’ - Evenepoel draws line under Lipowitz incident
Remco Evenepoel says his disagreement with Florian Lipowitz has been fully discussed inside Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, insisting the team can now turn its attention back to the Tour de France.
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Speaking before Friday’s stage to Bordeaux, Evenepoel confirmed that the incident had been discussed within Red Bull and was no longer an issue.
“Everything has been cleared up,” Evenepoel told NOS and HLN. “What happened yesterday is in the past and we can look forward again.”
The Belgian had been visibly frustrated after finishing fourth in Gavarnie Gèdre on Thursday. Evenepoel, Lipowitz and several other general classification contenders arrived together, 2:57 behind stage winner Tadej Pogačar, but Isaac del Toro beat Evenepoel in the sprint for third place and the accompanying bonus seconds.
Evenepoel later said he had asked Lipowitz for a leadout in the closing kilometres but did not receive the assistance he expected. He described himself as “angry, and rightly so”, adding that the situation would need to be discussed at the team hotel.
By Friday morning, however, his tone had changed.
Asked whether the episode was a consequence of Red Bull starting the Tour with two general classification leaders, Evenepoel refused to attach any wider significance to what had happened.
“I don’t know,” he said. “It was a moment in the race. As I said, we have spoken about it and we can move forward.”
Evenepoel also stood by his reputation as a rider who speaks openly in the immediate aftermath of a race, but stressed that his comments had since been reviewed with the team.
“We looked back on it in a conversation with everyone,” he said. “Everything has been discussed and now we just have to move on.”
His response supports the account given earlier on Friday by Red Bull Chief of Sports Zak Dempster, who said the disagreement had been caused by split second decisions and imperfect communication in the finale, rather than a deeper problem between the team’s two leaders.
Dempster described Evenepoel as someone who “wears his heart on his sleeve” and confirmed that the riders had spoken after returning to the hotel.
Team manager Ralph Denk offered a similar assessment, saying the situation had been amplified from the outside. According to Denk, Evenepoel and Lipowitz had already settled the matter by dinner and were seen laughing together later in the evening.
The incident came at the end of a difficult opening mountain test for Red Bull. Pogačar attacked on the Col du Tourmalet and rode alone for more than 40 kilometres to take the stage and yellow jersey, while Jonas Vingegaard finished second at 2:38.
Evenepoel described the Slovenian’s acceleration as familiar but no less impressive.
“The attack was a bit like what he always does,” he said. “He accelerates very explosively and then he just keeps going. It was very impressive again.”
Evenepoel is now fourth overall, 3:30 behind Pogačar and three seconds behind Del Toro. Lipowitz sits seventh, 30 seconds behind his teammate.
Despite Thursday’s frustration, Red Bull’s dual leadership strategy remains intact, with both riders still firmly involved in the battle for the podium.
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