The China Mail - Evenepoel to share Red Bull lead with Lipowitz at Tour de France

Double Olympic and multiple world champion Evenepoel has joined Lipowitz at Red Bull after a move from Belgian outfit Quick Step.

"This will be the first time I share leadership in the Tour de France. That's a good thing, it's always better to have several options.

"We are both aiming for the ultimate goal: victory," said the soon to be 26-year-old sporting a new goatee beard.

Evenepoel came third at the Tour de France in 2024, but had to abandon this year on the slopes of the Tourmalet during the 14th stage.

He then went to Rwanda and won the world time trial title in sensational style.

But at the Tour, Lipowitz took third in what was a breakout season for him.

The German said Wednesday that it would be an "advantage" to start with two leaders to try to compete with Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard, winners between them of the last six editions.

Evenepoel will concentrate on the Tour de France (July 4-26) and will therefore not compete in the Giro d'Italia in May where Red Bull Bora will line up the Italian Giulio Pellizzari as leader, accompanied by Jai Hindley and Aleksandr Vlasov.

The Slovenian veteran Primoz Roglic will concentrate on the Vuelta a Espana.

Evenepoel said he would not be racing either Milan-San Remo or at the Tour of Flanders, one-day races he has yet to compete in.

But in the big one-day events he has promised to target a third triumph at the Liege-Bastogne-Liege.

E.Lau--ThChM