Florian Lipowitz - individual time trial at the Dauphine

WorldTour

Test passed: Florian Lipowitz impresses with top time trial at the Dauphiné

Altitude training, aero fine-tuning in the Catesby Tunnel – and now the answer on the road: Florian Lipowitz delivers an impressive time trial at the Critérium du Dauphiné, finishing in the top five!

Written by RBH

2 min readPublished on 12.06.2025 · 12:17 UTC

At Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe, it’s all about the details. Just a few weeks ago, Lipowitz became the first WorldTour rider to test in the legendary Catesby Tunnel, working closely with engineering experts on aero performance. One key focus: newly developed time trial overshoes. Between Charmes-sur-Rhône and Saint-Péray, they made their race debut – and proved their worth. In the battle for seconds, aero details can make all the difference.

Working on aero details
© The Red Bulletin/Jojo Harper

All-out effort in the heat

17.4 kilometers may not sound like much, but the course packed a punch. After a flat, fast start along the Rhône, riders were thrown straight into a brutal rhythm change: a climb with double-digit gradients right out of the valley – nearly two kilometers of pure uphill grind, under blazing 30+ degree heat. A fast descent followed, before the final stretch into Saint-Péray: flat, windy, and demanding everything from power to precise pacing.

Strong against the clock

After spending the previous day in the breakaway, Florian Lipowitz had more to give. He tackled the time trial with power and precision, averaging 47.9 km/h and stopping the clock at 21:47 – the fifth-fastest time of the day. Even more impressive: the 24-year-old now sits second overall in the GC. His gap to the yellow jersey? Just four seconds.

Florian Lipowitz on stage at the Dauphiné
© Getty Sports

I’m super happy with this performance.
Florian Lipowitz

Florian Lipowitz: „That was a tough time trial – especially the climb really was a hard one, and the heat didn’t make it any easier. After spending the whole day in the break yesterday, I wasn’t sure how my legs would respond today. I’m super happy with this performance. I’m feeling good and really looking forward to the next stages.“

A strong statement at the halfway point of the race – but the real battle is yet to come.