Florian Lipowitz will miss at least six weeks of competition after suffering a broken collarbone during an individual time trial at the Tour de France, according to Red-Bull-Team officials. The injury effectively ends the 25-year-old German rider’s 2024 season, making his participation in the Vuelta a España and the World Championships in Montreal highly unlikely.
Lipowitz Injury Timeline and Recovery Outlook
The crash occurred during the Tour de France individual time trial, resulting in a fractured clavicle that required immediate hospitalization. Team manager Ralph Denk confirmed the severity of the injury, stating that the recovery period will last a minimum of six weeks.
Because the Vuelta a España runs from August 22 to September 13 and the World Championships in Montreal take place from September 20 to September 27, the recovery window leaves Lipowitz with almost no margin for a competitive return to those events. The only remaining possibility for the German rider this season would be late-autumn one-day races in Italy, such as the Il Lombardia on October 10.
Impact on Red-Bull-Team Strategy
The loss of Lipowitz shifts the team’s entire focus to Remco Evenepoel. While Evenepoel recently secured the team’s second stage win, the mood at the team hotel, the Campanile Findrol Savoie Leman, remained subdued due to Lipowitz’s exit.
Ralph Denk noted that the team will miss Lipowitz not only as a tactical asset in the fight for the podium but also as a teammate. “We won today, but it’s not like it’s super cool for us,” Denk said, referencing the mixed emotions following the victory and the injury.
Evenepoel’s Position in the General Classification
With Lipowitz out, Remco Evenepoel remains the primary contender for the team. Evenepoel currently sits in second place in the general classification, trailing race leader Tadej Pogačar by 4 minutes and 32 seconds.
Denk emphasized that the team intends to fight for a podium finish despite the gap. “We will not give away the podium. It will certainly be a hard fight; high mountains are coming. But we also have a strong Remco,” Denk stated. When asked if a victory was possible, Denk admitted that in a direct “man against man” comparison with Pogačar, he sees no chance of overtaking the leader.
A Challenging Tour for the German Rider
The injury marks a premature end to a Tour de France campaign that was fraught with internal and external tension for Lipowitz. Reports indicated ongoing discussions regarding the team’s dual-leadership structure and a brief conflict with Evenepoel during the first week of the race.
Lipowitz also faced a significant setback on the mountain stage to Plateau de Solaison, where he was unable to maintain the pace of Pogačar and Evenepoel. These struggles, combined with the final crash, cap a difficult period for a rider whose career trajectory had risen sharply over the last two years.
The Red-Bull-Team will now proceed with the remaining stages of the Tour de France centered on Evenepoel’s defense of his podium position.
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