Alaphilippe makes France dream – “In the shape of my life”

“I'm in the shape of my life. It's a feeling like something abnormal is happening. “I want to wear this maillot jaune as much as possible,” says the 27-year-old. He cannot say how far that will be. Maybe as far as the Pyrenees? Or even longer? The longing of his compatriots for their first Tour victory since Bernard Hinault 34 years ago is huge. And that is also the fuel that regularly pushes Alaphilippe to surpass himself. “I can promise that I will always push myself to the limit,” says the man from Saint-Amand-Montrond.

Day by day the lead over second-placed defending champion Geraint Thomas from Team Ineos has grown to 1:12 minutes. And at the same pace, the enthusiasm of compatriots for “Alaf”, as he is called on the side of the road, is increasing. Even the great Hinault is blown away: “He is extraordinary because he believes in himself. He drives like he did in my era, others have doubts.”

Can the strong classics specialist actually succeed Hinault? He doesn't really believe in it - not yet. “I'm not a dreamer. “I had no ambitions for the overall ranking at the start of the tour, and they didn’t just fall from heaven,” says the world number one, adding: “If you want to win the tour, you have to distribute your strength down to the last detail.”

Alaphilippe, who is trained by his cousin Franck, did not do that. Because the man with the goatee stands for pure aggressiveness. On the third stage he left all the favorites standing with an irresistible attack. The son of an orchestra leader repeated this on Saturday on the way to Saint-Étienne, where he took back yellow after a brief loss. Alaphilippe stands for entertainment on two wheels.

He's been celebrating this all season long. With his almost unique explosiveness, he shot to victory in the cycling monument Milan-Sanremo, and he also triumphed in the gravel race Strade Bianche and the semi-classic Fleche Wallonne. There are now eleven victories this season, which some teams have not even achieved with all of their drivers.

Alaphilippe won two Tour stages last year “Cycling wouldn’t be the same if we didn’t have riders like Julian,” enthuses his team boss Patrick Lefevere. That wasn't always the case, as the Belgian grand seigneur knows. “At first he was nervous and unfocused. He learned from his mistakes.” That has changed suddenly in the last few years. Already in 2018 he won two tour stages and took the mountain jersey. All teams have been vying for him for a long time, but Alaphilippe has extended his contract with Deceuninck-Quick Step until 2021.

He knows what he has in the Belgian team, which he describes as a “second family”. When no French team wanted him in 2013, he got a chance in the youth team at Quick Step. Since then he has already achieved 29 victories for the team – and now has the Maillot Jaune on his shoulders. “This jersey makes me even stronger,” says Alaphilippe. His rivals are now also puzzling over how strong. “He is the best driver of the season. That's a fact. A yellow jersey like this gives you wings. He can fight too. He’s in a good mood and he has his fans along the track too,” said team boss Ralph Denk from the German Bora-hansgrohe team.

Football

Italy

International leagues

International

Winter sports

Tennis

Other sports

Motorsport

Cycling

Watersports

Events

Favorites

Alaphilippe makes France dream – “In the shape of my life”

The Grande Nation has been waiting for a French Tour winner for 34 years. This year, Julian Alaphilippe is wowing the crowds and wearing yellow. What else is in it for the entertainer on two wheels?

Suggestions

Comments (0)