Cycling
Remco Evenepoel and Florian Lipowitz: Building a Tour de France partnership
Two very different riders with the same ambition: winning the Tour de France. As teammates and Tour contenders, Remco Evenepoel and Florian Lipowitz are learning to pursue the same goal.
In late February, 2026, new teammates Remco Evenepoel and Florian Lipowitz headed out for their first proper ride together on the slopes of Mount Teide in Tenerife. The plan was a routine training session. Instead, the two Tour de France contenders spent hours talking about racing, crashes and the challenges that awaited them later in the season.
By the time they returned, what had started as a training ride had become something more: the beginning of a partnership that could define Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe's Tour de France campaign.
Evenepoel and Lipowitz spent 20 days training at altitude in Tenerife.
© Maximilian Fries
The making of a partnership
The 2026 Tour de France begins in Barcelona on July 4 with a team time trial – a discipline where teamwork matters more than individual strength. Success depends on eight riders working as one, sharing the effort and maintaining speed without breaking formation.
For Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe, the opening stage presents an opportunity. With world-class time trial specialist Evenepoel and rising German star Lipowitz leading the team's ambitions, preparations began months earlier. In January, the pair met in Mallorca to test ideas, build chemistry and find out whether a partnership that looked promising on paper could indeed work on the road.
Lipowitz is introverted, while Evenepoel thrives in the spotlight
© Maximilian Fries/Red Bull Content Pool
A winning formula
It worked. Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe won the team time trial at the Trofeo Ses Salines, beating Movistar by four seconds. Evenepoel, the aggressor, did what he does best: powering into the wind, spending 90 seconds in front at more than 500 watts. Lipowitz, the diesel engine, kept the speed high and the rhythm smooth. Different styles, same result.
What made it even more impressive was that they barely knew each other at the time. Which raises an obvious question: how do two riders on the same team, both with ambitions of winning the Tour de France, make it work?
Lipowitz and Evenepoel ride through the mist on Mount Teide
© Maximilian Fries
A month later, they met again on Mount Teide. Rising 3,715 metres above Tenerife, the volcano has become cycling's modern-day shrine. This is where sacrifices are made: weeks away from family, days spent in near-total isolation, hours in the saddle on an empty stomach. All in the hope that it will pay off in July.
At altitude, the body produces more red blood cells – a natural performance boost that is both legal and highly effective. The training camps were deliberately scheduled to overlap, giving Evenepoel and Lipowitz the chance to really get to know each other.
Turning preparation into results
The signs of a successful partnership emerged at the Volta a Catalunya
© Maximilian Fries/Red Bull Content Pool
Remco did me a huge favour… I don't even know what to say
The first signs that those early training camps were paying off came at the Volta a Catalunya in March. Fresh from their time together on Mount Teide, the pair showed how quickly their partnership had developed. On the queen stage, Lipowitz proved to be the stronger climber, distancing Evenepoel on the final ascent.
A day later, the roles were reversed. Evenepoel attacked the technical descents, worked tirelessly on the flat and helped set up Lipowitz for an overall podium finish. It was an early example of two riders with the same ambition finding ways to make each other stronger. “Remco did me a huge favour,” Lipowitz said afterwards. “I don't even know what to say.”
On the mat, preparing for the long hours of work that lie ahead
© Maximilian Fries
Teammates with a shared goal
© Maximilian Fries
On July 4, they will line up in Barcelona with the same goal they had when they first met. The difference is that now they know what each other can do – and what they can achieve together.