Cyclists Evenepoel and Lipowitz make peace again

Remco Evenepoel and Florian Lipowitz have made peace again after Evenepoel accused his German Red Bull-Bora hansgrohe team-mate of not helping him in Thursday's Tour de France mountain stage in the Pyrenees.

"The two lads spoke about it. It is no big deal. The issue was made bigger than it was," team chief Ralph Denk said in a team podcast ahead of Friday's stage to Bordeaux.

Lipowitz told broadcasters ARD and Eurosport: "We talked in the bus yesterday. I think everything is settled. In the end it was a super tough day and we can be satisfied with the performance. The atmosphere is good."

Evenepoel struck a conciliatory tone as well on Friday, saying: “Everyone has their own strengths, and you want to make the most of them. Everything has been said. The past is the past. We must now look ahead.”

The Belgian twice Olympic champion had initially criticised last year's Tour third place finisher Lipowitz of Germany for not having done enough lead work in a chase group on Thursday.

“Yes, I was angry – and rightly so. During the Vuelta a Catalunya I rode at the front for him for 30 kilometres. I asked to lead for one kilometre, but that wasn’t possible. That annoyed me," Belgian media quoted Evenepoel as saying.

Co-captains Evenepoel and Lipowitz were in an eight-strong chase group behind stage winner and title holder Tadej Pogačar and second-placed ex-winner Jonas Vingegaard, with Evenepoel doing the majority of lead work which Denk also acknowledged.

The group may have caught Vingegaard but missed by 19 seconds.

Evenepoel was also reportedly upset that Lipowitz didn't help him secure third place and with it precious bonus seconds, saying "I asked for a leadout and didn't get one."

Evenepoel placed fourth in the stage and Lipowitz sixth. In the overall standings, Evenepoel is also fourth, 3 minutes 30 seconds behind Pogačar. Lipowitz is another 30 seconds back in seventh.

Tensions between the two may return on Tuesday when the next stage in mountain terrain is scheduled in the Massif Central.