Remco Evenepoel publicly criticised Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe co-leader Florian Lipowitz after cooperation between the pair broke down during the first major mountain stage of the 2026 Tour de France.
The dispute emerged in the closing kilometres of Thursday’s 186.2-kilometre stage from Pau to Gavarnie-Gèdre, where Evenepoel and Lipowitz arrived in the same chasing group behind Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard.
Pogačar won the stage after launching a long-range attack on the Col du Tourmalet. Vingegaard finished 2 minutes and 38 seconds behind, while the group containing Evenepoel and Lipowitz crossed the line at 2 minutes and 57 seconds.
Evenepoel finished fourth after losing the sprint for third place and the remaining four bonus seconds to UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider Isaac del Toro. Lipowitz placed sixth with the same time.
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Evenepoel demands talks after Lipowitz refusal
According to Cyclingnews journalist James Moultrie, Evenepoel revealed that he had asked Lipowitz to provide a lead-out before the sprint but received no assistance.
“I had asked for a lead-out, and I didn’t get one,” Evenepoel told Sporza.
“Yes, I was angry, and rightly so. In the Volta a Catalunya, I rode at the front for him for 30 kilometres. I asked him to do one kilometre of work at the front, and that wasn’t possible. That made me angry, and that will need to be discussed thoroughly tonight.”
The Belgian had worked extensively for Lipowitz during the Volta a Catalunya earlier in the season, helping his teammate secure a place on the overall podium. That contribution appeared to be at the heart of Evenepoel’s frustration when he felt the favour was not returned in Gavarnie-Gèdre.
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Poor cooperation in the chasing group
Evenepoel was also unhappy with the wider group’s failure to work together after he rejoined Lipowitz on the descent from the Tourmalet.
Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe had two riders in the group, as did Lidl-Trek through Juan Ayuso and Mattias Skjelmose. However, the chase lacked organisation, allowing Vingegaard to remain clear and limiting the group’s opportunity to reduce its losses to Pogačar.
“I understand why Del Toro and Sepp Kuss weren’t riding, but Lidl-Trek was there with just the two of them and they didn’t want to ride right away,” Evenepoel said.
“I thought: ‘What do you have to lose? If we work together, maybe we can get as far as Jonas’. But a few riders wanted to drag again.”
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Despite the disagreement, Evenepoel remains well placed in the general classification. He sits fourth overall, 3 minutes and 30 seconds behind race leader Pogačar and only seven seconds outside the podium positions.
Lipowitz is seventh, 30 seconds behind his teammate.
Dual leadership faces its first major test
Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe began the Tour with Evenepoel and Lipowitz officially sharing leadership responsibilities.
Evenepoel finished third in his Tour debut in 2024, while Lipowitz claimed the same position in 2025. Their presence gave the team two strong options for the general classification, but it also raised questions over how responsibilities would be divided during decisive moments.
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The events in Gavarnie-Gèdre have provided the first clear sign of tension between the two leaders.
Both remain firmly involved in the battle for the podium, but the team must now ensure that Thursday’s disagreement does not undermine its ambitions during the remaining mountain stages.
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