On a day dominated by Tadej Pogacar’s masterclass at Hautacam, one of the most compelling stories came from behind him. Florian Lipowitz, the young German riding for Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe, delivered a breakout performance on Stage 12 of the Tour de France, finishing third — just seconds behind Jonas Vingegaard — and firmly establishing himself as a genuine general classification contender.Lipowitz’s ride didn’t just earn him a spot on the stage podium; it also reshaped the internal hierarchy of his team. With his impressive climbing display, the 23-year-old has now been handed leadership duties for the remainder of the Tour, relegating veteran Primoz Roglic to a secondary role. Lipowitz now sits fourth overall, while Roglic, still a threat, occupies seventh.But the bigger headline may be this: with Remco Evenepoel showing the first real signs of vulnerability, the prospect of a podium finish in Paris for Lipowitz has gone from hopeful ambition to tangible possibility. For Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe, that should now be the target.
“In the first part of the climb, I spent quite a while setting the pace,” Lipowitz said after the stage. “I tried to keep the tempo high, then made a move to test the legs of the others. I managed to get away with Oscar Onley.”
“I stayed on his wheel in case Primoz came back, but when the opportunity presented itself, I went all-in to the line. I think we can be really pleased with today. We’ve now got two riders in strong GC positions, which gives us a lot of tactical options for the coming days.”
Lipowitz crossed the line just 13 seconds behind stage winner Vingegaard and — more tellingly — put 1 minute and 12 seconds into Evenepoel. With the Belgian expected to reclaim time in the Peyragudes mountain time trial, nothing is guaranteed. But the consistency and climbing form Lipowitz has shown — not only at this Tour, but throughout the season — suggest he won’t be easily dislodged.
Whether or not he makes the podium in Paris, Lipowitz has already announced himself as one of the revelations of this year’s Tour de France.