Florian Lipowitz was forced to abandon the Tour de France after a heavy crash during the individual time trial. The German hopeful from Team Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe lost control on a right-hand bend, slammed into a barrier at high speed, and stayed down on the tarmac. Lipowitz clutched his right shoulder and was taken to an ambulance, ending his second Tour de France in heartbreaking fashion.
The day’s standout performance came from teammate Remco Evenepoel. The world champion and double Olympic gold medalist claimed the only individual time trial of the 113th Tour de France, covering the 26.1 km stretch along Lake Geneva between Évian-les-Bains and Thonon-les-Bains in 32:19—on Belgium’s national holiday. Evenepoel finished 28 seconds ahead of Tadej Pogačar, while third-placed Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) crossed 1:04 behind. This marked Evenepoel’s fourth Tour stage win and his second in a row. In the general classification, he cut his deficit to Pogačar to 4:32, while extending his lead over Pogačar’s teammate Isaac del Toro to over two minutes.
“This is a terrible shame. It’s a bittersweet victory,” Evenepoel said of Lipowitz’s crash. “I wish him all the best.” On the demanding course, which included the 9.7 km Côte de Larringes, Evenepoel had already built a 14-second lead over Pogačar at the summit. After a technical descent and a flat 8 km run to the finish, the gap proved unbridgeable. Evenepoel used a prototype bike from his manufacturer for the effort.
Off the course, doping controls sparked debate. Team manager Ralph Denk told ZDF that the Red Bull team was tested on Monday evening between 10:00 and 11:00 pm—still within the allowed window. Denk acknowledged the impact on recovery but expressed understanding.
Nico Denz remained composed on ARD: “That’s just how it is. At least the check wasn’t at 2:00 am, but around 10:30.” Former champion Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) had been tested at 2:00 am on Sunday morning—he crashed later that day and withdrew. Now, Lipowitz has also been affected.
On Wednesday, Stage 17 covers 174.7 km to Voiron—a relatively calm day before the decisive Alpine trilogy. Breakaway riders have strong chances, while sprinters may get a final opportunity.
