Florian Lipowitz convinced during the 2025 France tour of both on the mountain and in the fight against the clock.
Foto: imago/Vincent Kalut
The English -language sports press Florian Lipowitz describes as a “new German child prodigy”, in the tradition in which Boris Becker or Michael Schumacher was used for. Lipowitz also showed his version of the “Becker-Hecht”-a volley of the former tennis professional beaten in the pike jump. It is the attack in the middle of the heart of newly minging rivals. He used this remedy twice in the 2025 France tour. On the 18th stage last Thursday, he attacked at Col de la Loze, drove out on Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard for up to three minutes – only to be obtained at the end of them, but even outdated. In the shadow of the two big ones, the Scotsman Oscar Onley also got closer to Lipowitz. The professional from the Picnic racing team was Lipowitz ‘hardest opponent for third place and the white jersey of the best young professional. To stay in the tennis jargon: This Becker-Hecht landed online.
Florian Lipowitz is characterized by the fact that he does not let the courage be taken, but learns from his mistakes. Already the day after his failed attack, his acceleration was better set. On the 19th stage he attracted the moment when Onley, who drove in front of him, showed weaknesses. Lipowitz stormed past Pogačar and Vingegaard again. They followed him this time. Lipowitz did not want to hang it out, but only forced the pace of the small favorite group. “I found it brilliant because Florian reacted very quickly. Oscar has exploded. Then opening a gap was a good consideration of him, ”said Rolf Aldag, the team boss of Red Bull – Bora – Hansgrohe, the racing instinct of his protégé.
From Schigymnasium to the WorldTour
However, you shouldn’t call him a child prodigy. Lipowitz has only been really active on cycling for six years. Since the age of eight, however, he has been doing a different endurance sport: biathlon. »There is a biathlon system near my home town at Ulm-I wanted to try it out. So I just went to a trial training. The combination of cross-country skiing, endurance, speed, and the precision when shooting immediately fascinated me, «the 24-year-old looks back at this beginnings. He brought it to the German student master in biathlon. Together with his brother Philipp, which is one year older, he also went to the renowned Schigymnasium Stams. There, as a former coach recently revealed, he still holds a school record in the recovery.
Injuries to the knee and at the Achilles tendon brought him closer to cycling. He was familiar with the bike anyway because he and his family had contested one or the other cycling marathon with his family and sometimes ran a bike across the Swabian Alb, 100 kilometers back and 100 kilometers. So the endurance was there. The desire to torture yourself, obviously unlimited. At his own initiative, Lipowitz reported to the German Worldtour racing stable. And before the scouts of other teams could even become aware of him, he already had a contract with Tirol KTM, the former development team of Red Bull – Bora – Hansgrohe.
Stronger than your own team captain
Lipowitz has been going on the WorldTour since 2023. He has been causing a sensation there since 2024, and in the fall of last year with overall place seven at Vuelta a España alongside teammates and overall winners Primož Roglič. He should also first deny the Tour de France alongside the Slovenian team captain. Not more as a helper and learner like ago in Spain, but in a free role.
As is well known, the newcomer took advantage of this freedom. Lipowitz no longer had to wait for his captain as with the Vuelta. He could decide what he wanted to do. And already in the Pyrenees it became clear that its level of performance is now above that of Roglič. However, the Swabian native distinguishes that he did not stand over the Slovenia. His respect and loyalty went so far that he even left the 35-year-old to third place should one of his attacks. Roglič also tried. But his star fades surprisingly quickly this season. Lipowitz is now the victory driver of the German racing team for the big tours. Second place at the long -distance journey in Paris – Nice this spring and third place at the Dauphiné, the preparatory race on the tour, already indicated this.
As third to Paris
The next step towards a great tourist is that Lipowitz is now also third in the overall ranking. He still lacks something up to the level of Pogačar and Vingegaard, he admits that himself. But the 24-year-old still has development potential. And with his determination, his perseverance, his already pronounced racing instinct and, above all, his extraordinary learning ability, he should still provide numerous special moments in the future.