Florian Lipowitz continued his impressive performance at Paris-Nice, delivering another strong ride on Stage 5. The young German finished fifth atop the Côte de Notre-Dame-de-Sciez, just six seconds behind stage winner Martinez, and moved up to third overall.
The 24-year-old has been a consistent presence at the sharp end of the race, already proving his ability on Stage 4’s summit finish yesterday. Despite the short, punchy nature of the final climb on today’s stage (which was 1.7km at 11 per cent), Lipowitz held his own, a performance that even he found slightly surprising.
“I didn’t expect to do so well on a climb like this,” he admitted post-stage. “Normally, I’m not the best on these short, steep ramps, but I surprised myself today. I was able to stay with the best guys.”
Crossing the line just behind the leading quartet, he reinforced his status as one of the key contenders in the race. His effort also saw him don the white jersey as the best young rider. He currently sits just 36 seconds behind current race leader Jorgensen with three stages remaining until the race concludes in Nice.
Photo: Getty Sport