Florian Lipowitz is the new German GC hope discussion thread

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That actually makes a lot of sense. Lipowitz should be slowly introduced to the responsibility for am team. They want to see what is possible. The pressure should not be too high. Besides, you know the German media. They've been waiting so long for a top German rider - and if he's also a classification rider, then it's all about Tour victories.
Last year he was allowed to ride for the overall classification in small races. This year the races got bigger with the Dauphine as the highlight. The competition is very strong there. But the media attention is not as high. And since it was clear that Roglic wouldn't be there, that was always the plan.

Allegedly, as they also said last week, it will be decided whether he will ride the Tour after the Dauphine. But I don't believe that. I think that would only have been a possibility if the Dauphine had gone badly. Lipowitz shows that he might even be ahead of schedule. But that's why he's peaking now and not at the Tour. That's why he will go to the Tour as a helper. Maybe he'll get a free role. But the mountain team at the Tour won't be strong. If Roglic has a flat towards the end and Lipowitz doesn't wait, but loses time the next day, you haven't won anything if there's no other helper. That's why you have to think carefully about what you want to achieve with Bora.

Yeah, it's good to introduce him slowly, but if the plan was to have him peak for a major stage race below the Grand Tours, I would've sent him to the Tour de Suisse instead. He would've had a better shot at winning the GC there and been in the middle of a real fight for first place over nine days. That kind of experience might've done more for him than finishing third in a race dictated by Pogacar and Vingegaard.

Anyway, this is mostly nitpicking. I still think it's unlikely he peaked for the Dauphiné in a way that will hurt his Tour de France form. They probably decided a long time ago that he'd ride the Tour, and naming the Dauphiné as his "main goal" was more about it fitting well into his training plan on the way to the Tour.