Red Bull leadership tension moved into the open after Remco Evenepoel criticised Florian Lipowitz at the Tour de France.
The Belgian was frustrated after a demanding Pyrenean stage to Gavarnie-Gèdre, where Tadej Pogacar again proved out of reach. Evenepoel and Lipowitz both lost contact when Pogacar attacked just under 5km from the summit of the Col du Tourmalet.
Lipowitz reached the top in a group 1:27 behind Pogacar. Evenepoel crested another 20 seconds later, before using the descent to regain contact with the group ahead.
The two Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe leaders finished together, but they could not cut into Pogacar’s lead. They arrived 2:57 behind the day’s winner and 19 seconds after Jonas Vingegaard of Visma.
Evenepoel then lost the sprint for third place to Isaac del Toro of UAE Team Emirates-XRG. His irritation was clear immediately after the finish.
Red Bull leadership questions sharpen after Tourmalet
Speaking to Sporza, Evenepoel said he had asked Lipowitz to guide him into the sprint. He said that support did not arrive.
“I asked for a lead-out and didn’t get one,” Evenepoel said. He added that he was “angry, and rightly so.”
Evenepoel pointed to the Volta a Catalunya as context for his reaction. He said he had worked for Lipowitz there for 30 kilometres, while asking here for one kilometre of help.
He said the matter needed proper discussion within the team that evening.
The comments exposed a delicate balance inside Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe. Evenepoel joined from Soudal Quick-Step last winter with the goal of improving on his third place at the 2024 Tour.
His move placed him alongside Lipowitz, who was third in Paris in 2025. Red Bull entered this year’s Tour with both riders carrying leadership status.
That arrangement now faces pressure after a major mountain test. Pogacar extended his authority, while Red Bull’s two contenders fought to limit losses rather than challenge for the win.
Evenepoel limits damage on descent
Evenepoel still drew positives from the day, especially given his recent history on the Tourmalet. Twelve months earlier, he had abandoned the Tour on the climb’s slopes.
This time, he said his performance was acceptable. He described the UAE pace as extremely high, even though his own group had already been riding quickly.
Evenepoel also explained that he did not want to empty himself near the top of the Tourmalet. A long descent followed, and he expected to use his descending skills.
He said the plan involved riding fast downhill while taking calculated risks. That approach helped him return to the group containing Lipowitz, Del Toro and Paul Seixas of Decathlon CMA CGM.
Juan Ayuso, Mattias Skjelmose of Lidl-Trek, Lenny Martinez of Bahrain Victorious and Sepp Kuss of Visma also formed part of that chase.
Evenepoel believed the group missed an opportunity after the descent. Vingegaard had been almost a minute ahead of him at the Tourmalet summit.
The Belgian said he understood why Del Toro and Kuss were not driving the chase. However, he questioned why Lidl-Trek did not use its two riders more aggressively.
Evenepoel suggested collective work might have helped them reach Vingegaard before the finish. Instead, the group remained behind the Dane and far from Pogacar.
The general classification now shows Evenepoel fourth overall, 3:30 behind Pogacar in yellow. He sits three seconds behind Del Toro, who holds third place.
Lipowitz remains seventh overall, 30 seconds behind Evenepoel. The numbers keep both Red Bull riders in the upper reaches of the standings, but the hierarchy looks less settled.
For Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, the sporting question now sits alongside the tactical one. The team must manage two ambitions while chasing rivals who already have clearer momentum.