Remco Evenepoel said he felt he was “justifiably angry” at his Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe team-mate Florian Lipowitz after cooperation between the pair appeared to collapse on stage six of the Tour de France.
According to Evenepoel, speaking to the Belgian press after Tadej Pogačar’s win in Gavarnie, Lipowitz refused to give him a lead-out from the chase group. If Evenepoel had won the sprint for third, he would have gained four bonus seconds in the general classification. Instead, Pogačar’s team-mate Isaac del Toro dashed ahead to take more time behind second-placed Jonas Vingegaard.
“I had asked for a lead-out, and I didn’t get one,” Evenepoel told Sporza. “I think I was justifiably angry. At the Volta a Catalunya, I rode at the front for him for 30km. I asked him to ride at the front for one kilometre, and that wasn’t possible. That made me angry, and that will need to be discussed thoroughly tonight.”
Evenepoel placed fourth on stage six, 2:57 behind the stage winner, Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG). Lipowitz, who finished third overall at the race last year, crossed the line sixth, at the same time difference.
Lipowitz had a different view of how the stage unfolded. He told German publication ARD: “We didn’t manage to bring Jonas back, but the team performance was top-notch today. Now we have to fight for third place, the battle will be incredibly tough.
“I can be very happy, my legs just weren’t quite up to par on the Tourmalet,” he continued.
After his 43km solo attack, Pogačar now leads the general classification by 2:42 ahead of Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike), while Evenepoel is fourth overall 3:30 behind. Lipowitz is a further 30 seconds in arrears.
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