Florian Lipowitz is the new German GC hope discussion thread

[Lequack]

Is this thread too early? Probably. Is it too hyped? Also probably. But after that demonstration of strength today in Romandie it had to be done.

Florian Lipowitz

Florian Lipowitz (born 2000-09-21) is a professional road racing cyclist from Germany, currently riding for BORA - hansgrohe. His best results are winning GC Czech Tour and winning a stage in Czech Tour.

www.procyclingstats.com

What a ride today in the tough mountains of Romandie. Nobody expected this, maybe not even Lipowitz himself. He did win the Czech Tour last year sure, so he's had wins before, but not again the competition of this caliber. I think he is sure to have a great 2024 season.

He's been riding for Bora now for two years, and it seems he is extended for next year as well. A good signing for Bora as well, and if current events are anything to go by they might just sign him for a few more years as well.

 

[Lequack]

And he can shoot as well. Let the hype begin.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1570336249790780

View: https://www.facebook.com/ridewithpassion/videos/1570336249790780/

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Hot favorite for 40th in the Giro GC.
Jokes aside, the potential is clearly there as we saw today but I don‘t believe he‘ll constantly ride like this now. It will be interesting to see how he does in his first Grand Tour.

 

[Lequack]

Hot favorite for 40th in the Giro GC.
Jokes aside, the potential is clearly there as we saw today but I don‘t believe he‘ll constantly ride like this now. It will be interesting to see how he does in his first Grand Tour.

Obviously he will also still be used as a helper, since they can't just make everyone a GC leader. Well maybe UAE can it seems.

 

[Red Rick]

Should have taken private tuition by Professor Roglic on how to STOMP breakaway riders in the final 200m.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Obviously he will also still be used as a helper, since they can't just make everyone a GC leader. Well maybe UAE can it seems.

Well, they have one GC leader and had initially planned for two with Kämna. I don‘t expect that he can race for GC placement but theoretically it‘s possible.

 

[Sciatic]

And he can shoot as well. Let the hype begin.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1570336249790780

View: https://www.facebook.com/ridewithpassion/videos/1570336249790780/

I don’t want to be out riding and see a guy go by with a rifle on his back. On the other hand maybe it would convince motorists to be more careful around cyclists

 

[Netserk]

Caruso went 3rd and 4th in Romandie and the Giro last year, so Lipowitz will likely finish 3rd in the Giro.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Caruso went 3rd and 4th in Romandie and the Giro last year, so Lipowitz will likely finish 3rd in the Giro.

Do you mean 4th? Otherwise I don‘t get the logic.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Seems like he did the right thing by doing the Liposwitch from biathlon to cycling.

I was happy to see his brother make it back to the IBU Cup this year after he had been struggling with myocarditis and depression.

 

[Netserk]

Do you mean 4th? Otherwise I don‘t get the logic.

My bad, I thought he had passed Vlasov in GC.

4th in the Giro it is then.

 

[Mayomaniac]

I don’t want to be out riding and see a guy go by with a rifle on his back. On the other hand maybe it would convince motorists to be more careful around cyclists

Maybe also stupid fans who run alongside the riders...

 

[Slavique Nuke]

The circumstances are a major factor in its success. Many of the guys have been racing for 3 months and this is their last race before a break. While he's peaking for next week...

 

[RedheadDane]

Seems like he did the right thing by doing the Liposwitch from biathlon to cycling.

Are you going to put "lipo" in front of every word describing something he does?

 

[QueenStagiaire]

The circumstances are a major factor in its success. Many of the guys have been racing for 3 months and this is their last race before a break. While he's peaking for next week...

Yet his opponents are not exactly pannenkoeks as Wout Poels would say and especially the few Giro riders were nowhere. I think the way more important circumstance was how hard the pace on the stage was because I don‘t think he can drop a watt bomb and follow everyone on an Unipuerto stage.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Are you going to put "lipo" in front of every word describing something he does?

No, I'm just getting them all out of my system as fast as possible. To continue to do it would be Florianappropriate.

 

[Earns1985]

It seems that there is a reason for me to follow the Giro after all!

 

[ppanther92]

Really didn't see that coming. In fact his Tour de Czech win last year already felt a bit as an outlier. Also was never a spectacular junior. Or at least not better than some other guys on Team Tirol like Messner. But I guess some are als just "late bloomers".

 

[Cookster15]

Still pretty young and developing. I'd keep an open mind on his potential.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

Really didn't see that coming. In fact his Tour de Czech win last year already felt a bit as an outlier. Also was never a spectacular junior. Or at least not better than some other guys on Team Tirol like Messner. But I guess some are als just "late bloomers".

Did you know he used to be a biathlete? Can‘t be a spectacular junior if you start in the U23

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Did you know he used to be a biathlete? Can‘t be a spectacular junior if you start in the U23

In biathlon, a U23 is actually called a junior, so maybe that's why ppanther got confused.

 

[zlev11]

finally something to look forward to at the Giro. i like this guy.

 

[Cookster15]

Did you know he used to be a biathlete? Can‘t be a spectacular junior if you start in the U23

50% of biathlon is cross country skiing. I can see why that sport might translate into road cycling potential. More so than ski jumping for example.

 

[Lequack]

I just hope he has some chances to go in the breakaways in the Giro and not stuck in the helper role.

 

[proffate]

50% of biathlon is cross country skiing. I can see why that sport might translate into road cycling potential. More so than ski jumping for example.

Splitting hairs here but I think the skiing is probably more than half of the formula for success in biathlon. But the point is that it's not cycling any more than Zwift is, and we've seen how much difficulty Zwift stars face when plying their trade in meatspace.