Stage 3: “Last year he was close to tears – today he handles it brilliantly”

In the latest episode, Denk reflects on Stage 3 of the 2026 Tour de France. “It was incredibly hot today, which made the race extremely tough. The boss, Tadej Pogačar, was determined to win and was simply the strongest rider in the sprint,” says the 52-year-old. The team manager is particularly impressed by the development of co-leader Florian Lipowitz. “I remember last year when Florian was close to tears at the beginning. Things didn’t go the way he had imagined. This year, he has handled the opening days brilliantly. I spoke to him earlier and he feels really good. That makes us very optimistic about the days ahead,” Denk explains. Denk also had special praise for key domestique Jai Hindley. “On the final climb, he positioned Florian and Remco in world-class fashion,” he says. Assessing Evenepoel’s performance from a broader perspective, Denk adds: “He wasn’t as punchy as we’ve seen him before. I spoke to him as well. He hasn’t raced for a long time, and that kind of race intensity is difficult to replicate in training. That’s why he couldn’t match Pogačar. But he felt good, and we’re looking ahead with confidence,” concludes the Raubling native. The final part looks ahead to Stage 4, which will be raced on Tuesday. The riders will cover 182 kilometers from Carcassonne to Foix. “We’ve now had three days in which the strongest riders and teams have been at the front. That’s why I expect a breakaway group tomorrow. We certainly have options, but our plan hasn’t been finalized yet,” Denk concludes.