Purple Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe staff supervisor Ralph Denk has confirmed that Remco Evenepoel and Florian Lipowitz are each staff leaders for the Tour de France, however admitted that considered one of them will finally emerge because the staff’s protected rider as they „struggle it out between themselves on the street.“
Denk is satisfied the twin management technique can work and performed down any inside rivalry, with any ’struggle‘ for management anticipated to be truthful and sincere, and managed very similar to the ‚Papaya Guidelines‘ of the McLaren Formulation 1 staff, which permits their pilots to race freely however with out damaging the staff’s total ambitions.
„Remco continues to be the staff chief and Florian Lipowitz is a little bit of the second man however when it comes to sporting efficiency, they’re on equal footing,“ Denk defined to Flemish newspapers Het Laatste Nieuws and Het Nieuwsblad.
„Finally, there’ll come a day when one or the opposite feels higher. Then they should struggle it out between themselves on the street.“
„I’m satisfied that this may work,“ Denk made clear.
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Lipowitz has developed right into a constant Grand Tour rider throughout his three years at Purple Bull. The staff invested massively to signal Evenepoel for 2026, after which Lipowitz completed third within the 2025 Tour, as Evenepoel struggled and finally deserted after an injury-hit winter.
Lipowitz and Evenepoel are completely different riders and have completely different personalities, with the German being quiet however constant, whereas Evenepoel is a pure chief, very decided and sometimes outspoken.
To date, they seem to work properly collectively and have frolicked collectively at altitude camps. They’ve solely ridden the Volta a Catalunya collectively, the place Lipowitz completed third, and Evenepoel was fifth.
Evenepoel impressed within the Spring Classics and has opted to coach moderately than race in latest weeks, whereas Lipowitz has been persistently good all season. He was second behind Tadej Pogačar on the Tour de Romandie and final week received two levels and the general on the Tour of Slovenia.
„Lipowitz’s season and your entire staff has gone phenomenally up to now,“ Denk stated, understanding that Purple Bull should mix their abilities of their leaders and teammates in the event that they wish to problem Pogačar and struggle with Jonas Vingegaard and Paul Seixas for a spot on the ultimate podium.
„If all the things goes usually from his perspective, will probably be rattling tough to problem him in any respect,“ Denk stated.
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