\nHierarchy test from day one<\/p>\n
Voigt expects the opening team time trial in Barcelona to expose the first signs of tension within Red Bull\u2019s leadership trio. A new rule means the time will be taken on the first rider across the line rather than the fourth \u2013 turning what was once a collective effort into an early test of authority.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt Red Bull, everything will revolve around hierarchy on day one,\u201d Voigt explained. \u201cNo one will want to lose time to the others on the final climb up Montju\u00efc. If one of them drops the others, he\u2019s not doing anything wrong \u2013 everyone will just have to ride as fast as they can. But it could create a bit of internal rivalry.\u201d<\/p>\n
That dynamic could be further complicated by Remco Evenepoel\u2019s impending arrival. The Belgian, a triple world time-trial champion and 2022 Vuelta winner, is seen as the most credible challenger to Tadej Pogacar<\/a> and Jonas Vingegaard<\/a>, yet Voigt warned the 2026 route may not fully suit him.<\/p>\n \u201cFor Remco, it\u2019s not ideal,\u201d he noted. \u201cThere\u2019s only one individual time trial, over 26 kilometres. He\u2019d probably have liked a few more kilometres against the clock \u2013 maybe even a solo time trial to open the race.\u201d<\/p>\n Brutal route will punish the unprepared<\/p>\n Across three weeks and roughly 3,000 kilometres, Voigt sees a parcours designed to strip away pretenders and reward only the strongest teams \u2013 UAE Team Emirates – XRG, Team Visma | Lease a Bike, and Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe foremost among them.<\/p>\n \u201cWithout illness or crashes, we\u2019ll see the same podium as this year,\u201d Voigt predicted. \u201cThe route is so demanding there\u2019s no room for surprises. You need a very strong team, because there\u2019s a lot of work to be done. Already after the first week, we\u2019ll have a very good idea of where this Tour is heading.\u201d<\/p>\n He added that the apparently gentle Catalan opening could mislead riders into thinking the Tour starts softly: \u201cIt\u2019s a rider-friendly start, but the GC men must stay sharp from day one. Even the first climb on Montju\u00efc will begin to shape the standings.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA fear stage for everyone\u201d<\/p>\n If the first week is designed to catch contenders napping, the Alpine finale is built to break them. The Tour\u2019s final mountain block features back-to-back summit finishes on Alpe d\u2019Huez \u2013 a historic first \u2013 with more than 5,500 metres of climbing on the penultimate day alone.<\/p>\n \u201cTwo consecutive summit finishes on Alpe d\u2019Huez \u2013 we\u2019ve never seen that before,\u201d Voigt said. \u201cFor the domestiques, it\u2019s a death sentence; for the climbers and GC riders, it\u2019s still all to play for. It\u2019ll be an incredibly hard stage \u2013 a fear stage for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n Voigt believes that if Pogacar dominates as expected, the final showdown will merely confirm his supremacy. But if the Slovenian shows any weakness, \u201cthe entire race could be turned on its head\u201d as attacks explode over the Col de la Croix de Fer and Col de Sarenne.<\/p>\n Changing of the guard?<\/p>\n While Pogacar and Vingegaard remain the benchmark, Voigt\u2019s faith in Lipowitz suggests Red Bull may soon build its Tour strategy around the young German.<\/p>\n \u201cLipowitz has shown he\u2019s calm, efficient and climbs with the best,\u201d Voigt said. \u201cHe\u2019s right there \u2013 that last one per cent is all that\u2019s missing.\u201d<\/p>\n With a demanding parcours, volatile team dynamics and an early hierarchy test in Barcelona, Voigt believes the 2026 Tour de France will reward patience, resilience and team depth \u2013 qualities Lipowitz, in his view, has already begun to master.<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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