Stage 12: “The Captain Question Is Not Up for Discussion Today”

In the latest episode, Denk reports on the twelfth stage of the 2025 Tour de France. “We placed Florian and Lipowitz in the second group, and that was the foundation. Florian then proved to be the strongest rider and was told he could ride for it,” says the 51‑year‑old. Despite Lipowitz’s strong performance—he’s fourth in the GC and clearly ahead of Roglic—Denk is not committing to a captain choice. “Tomorrow comes the mountain time trial; that’s an important indicator. We’ll look at that afterward. There is no need for discussion today,” Denk analyzes. The background segment covers a year of Red Bull–BORA‑hansgrohe. Denk explains how Red Bull’s involvement has changed things, reviews the first-year results, and outlines future plans. In the final part, the preview is on Stage 13, to be raced on Friday. The short but extremely tough mountain time trial—10.9 km from Loudenvielle up to the small airstrip near Peyragudes—is made for pure climbing specialists. “We have a clear plan on which bike we’ll use tomorrow. But I’m not revealing that yet. Tomorrow demands good form and lightness. Both apply to Florian,” Denk concludes. The original version of this podcast was recorded in German and translated with the help of artificial intelligence. OVB Media accepts no liability for any translation errors. Photo: IMAGO/DAVID PINTENS