![\"Florian](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/florian-lipowitz-69f348cddacf0.jpg@webp.webp\")
<\/p>\n
\n\u201cI was just on the limit\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe plan was to follow Pogi as long as possible,\u201d Lipowitz said. \u201cBut in the last kilometre on the climb I was just on the limit and I couldn\u2019t go deeper anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n
That moment proved decisive. When Pogacar made his final move near the summit, Lipowitz could not respond, forced instead into pacing his effort to the top before committing to the descent in a bid to limit the damage. \u201cThen I tried to pace myself,\u201d he added. \u201cBut I\u2019m super happy with today and also how we were racing as a team. Big support to the team and I\u2019m super happy.\u201d<\/p>\n
It was a ride that underlined both how far Lipowitz has come and how narrow the remaining gap still is.<\/p>\n
A race decided by fine margins<\/p>\n
The nature of the final climb played directly into Pogacar\u2019s strengths. \u201cI think he knows that I\u2019m not the fastest guy and I like a steady pace,\u201d Lipowitz explained. \u201cI think he just tried in the last kilometre to drop me and it worked quite well for him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Even so, the fact that the decisive difference only came in the closing kilometre, and amounted to just seconds rather than minutes, marks a significant step forward in Lipowitz\u2019s development as a Grand Tour contender.<\/p>\n
The wider context of the stage reinforces that point. Behind the leading duo, the rest of the general classification contenders were distanced by over a minute, leaving Lipowitz isolated as the only rider able to go toe to toe with Pogacar on the hardest terrain of the race.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Florian Lipowitz at the 2026 Tour de Romandie<\/p>\n
Building form towards the Tour<\/p>\n
The performance also fits into a broader upward trajectory across the spring. \u201cI was improving race by race,\u201d Lipowitz said. \u201cThe preparation to Catalunya was not perfect, but now with the racing I improved a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n
That progression has been visible not just in results, but in the way he has raced. Where earlier in the season there were flashes, Romandie has shown consistency, resilience, and the ability to survive deep into the most demanding efforts. \u201cI\u2019m also looking forward to having a break after Romandie and then building up to the Tour,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Backing up the growing beliefLipowitz\u2019s ride comes amid growing belief in his potential to challenge at the very highest level. Former professional Jens Voigt recently suggested that the gap to Pogacar may be smaller than it appears<\/a>, arguing that only marginal gains could bring the two onto equal footing.<\/p>\n Romandie has not closed that gap entirely. Pogacar remains the benchmark, and on the decisive climb he still had the final answer. But what this stage demonstrated, more clearly than any before it this season, is that Lipowitz is now operating within touching distance. Not yet equal, but no longer distant.<\/p>\n