Successful, humble, and Wahl-Leutascher
Many were excited last year when Florian Lipowitz from the Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe team finished third on the podium at the Tour de France. Many suffered with him when he fell during the individual time trial on stage 16 this year and had to abandon the race with a broken collarbone. But only a few know how close his connection to Tyrol's high plateau is and what the region means to him.
Lipowitz began his sports career in DAV Ulm as a biathlete. As a teenager, he moved with his family to Leutasch and attended the ski academy in Stams. While his older brother Philipp won several medals at the junior world championships in biathlon, the equally talented Florian struggled with knee problems and an ACL injury. During rehabilitation, he discovered cycling and found his new passion, which has made him one of the most successful young professionals in the world since at least 2025. Just a year ago, he won the youth classification of the Tour de France in Paris and finished third overall. In 2026, he was in a promising sixth place in the overall rankings until his fall. We had the honor of asking the charming 25-year-old a few questions and are excited to introduce you to the choice Leutascher in a little more detail.
Cycling is for me...
... my passion and brings me a lot of joy. Although it is now also my profession, I still try to enjoy it simply. If you get to pursue your sport as a profession, you can only be happy. Cycling is also my way of discovering the world and being active in nature.
The success at the Tour 2025 means for me...
..., that a great dream has come true. I have been following the Tour de France since my childhood, and I could never have imagined starting there, let alone finishing it on the podium. The success makes me proud and confirms that sacrifices, hours of training, and hard battles are worth it.
Tyrol's high plateau and the Leutasch are...
... by now my home. I have lived here since I started at the ski school in Stams. I love the region and always look forward to coming home. Leutasch is my place to unwind and enjoy peace after stressful racing phases. I also prepare for new challenges best here.
My training rounds...
... I prefer to start from home. If a tougher workout is needed, I like to ride a loop over Ötz, Kühtai, Kematen, and the Telfer Mountain. Shorter mountain rides always take me over the Telfer Mountain. On quiet days, I enjoy cycling through the entire Leutaschtal and soaking in the beautiful landscape.
For a perfect cycling day, you need...
... good weather, good legs, and ideally a few friends. In our region, you can't really go wrong, because especially when it comes to the weather, we are quite spoiled.
In my free time...
… to be honest, I ride my bike as little as possible because I already spend at least 30,000 kilometers a year in the saddle for work. However, since my girlfriend is a professional mountain biker, we go for rides together on our mountain bikes. Our favorite spots are Wildmoos or Gaistal; a stop at a mountain hut for Kaiserschmarrn is, of course, part of it.
(Note from the editor: Antonia Weeger is a World Cup athlete competing in the U23 category of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in XCO – Olympic Cross Country.)
Cross-country skiing...
... is still a lot of fun for me. I know and appreciate the trails of the region from my active biathlon days. Unfortunately, the cycling season is very long and starts already in January. Therefore, my time for cross-country skiing is very limited. But I take one or two weeks for it every winter and always look forward to it.
My professional tip for all cycling fans is...
... Recovery is just as important as training; it's better to take an extra rest day than to train too much. Never forget the fun: the best watt values and the best training mean nothing without joy. And of course, shared meals or coffee breaks are also part of it.
If I have to choose 😉, I'll rather take
- Kaiserschmarrn as crêpes
- definitely prefer Tyrolean Gröstl to ratatouille
- definitely also the Seekirchl as Sacré-Cœur in Paris, because I'm not really a city person.
- the Mont Ventoux as the Hohe Munde: It was just an incredible experience to ride up there in 2025. I had been on the Munde before, but the Ventoux wins that one.
Despite the many places that Lipowitz has come to know during his career worldwide, the native of Laichingen (Baden-Württemberg) feels comfortable in his adopted home. Therefore, it was probably no coincidence that after his successful clavicle surgery at the end of July, he showcased himself on Instagram in front of the Seekirchl and the Seefeld Sports and Congress Center. Seven weeks later, he was back on the bike and participated in the road race of the UCI World Championships in Montreal on September 27, 2026. He finished that race in the main field. Those who want to learn more about his everyday life are recommended to check out his Social Media Account, where one can also discover Tyrol's high plateau time and again.