Teams & Riders Julian Alaphilippe Discussion Thread

[Bolder]

Re: Re:

I wouldn't consider Alaphilippe a favorite based on how insanely hard the course is, and not on how he has no results in one day races.

Truthfully I'm not sure Alaphilippe is a good enough climber to be in the mix, however, I'd put his chances of winning/good placing over a GT GC specialist for this race as you have to be good at one day races and understand how to race a one day race. Nibali, D Martin, and Valverde still have to be the top favorites as they are all very good one day racers (Valverde is probably a classics specialist more than he's anything else) and are all good at stage races.

It is a devilishly hard course --258 k with 4600-some meters of climbing. However, the climbs could suit a one-day rider like Alaphilippe because the Gnadenwald on the long lap is short and steep at 10%/3k, while the main "short lap" climb is long and relatively gentle at 5.7%/8km, and the final climb (done once if I am reading the map correctly) is short and steep at 11%/2.8 km. So I think he has a chance if he can hold his form all season long.

He won the polka dots by being aggressive, not by out dragging the pure climbers. He probably couldn't do that over a GT, but on his day, I think he can hang. I hope he does, but I'd also love to see a climber win the WC.

 

[Koronin]

Re: Re:

I wouldn't consider Alaphilippe a favorite based on how insanely hard the course is, and not on how he has no results in one day races.

Truthfully I'm not sure Alaphilippe is a good enough climber to be in the mix, however, I'd put his chances of winning/good placing over a GT GC specialist for this race as you have to be good at one day races and understand how to race a one day race. Nibali, D Martin, and Valverde still have to be the top favorites as they are all very good one day racers (Valverde is probably a classics specialist more than he's anything else) and are all good at stage races.

It is a devilishly hard course --258 k with 4600-some meters of climbing. However, the climbs could suit a one-day rider like Alaphilippe because the Gnadenwald on the long lap is short and steep at 10%/3k, while the main "short lap" climb is long and relatively gentle at 5.7%/8km, and the final climb (done once if I am reading the map correctly) is short and steep at 11%/2.8 km. So I think he has a chance if he can hold his form all season long.

He won the polka dots by being aggressive, not by out dragging the pure climbers. He probably couldn't do that over a GT, but on his day, I think he can hang. I hope he does, but I'd also love to see a climber win the WC.

Valverde and Nibali if they are on form and healthy are by far the two biggest favorites. You'll get one of the guys like them or S. Yates or one of the others who know how to race one day races winning it, NOT a GC GT specialist.

 

[Red Rick]

I'm starting this Alaphilippe guy is pretty good

 

[Lequack]

Re:

I'm starting this Alaphilippe guy is pretty good

I am not so sure that Valverde didn't change hosts before the Tour. Took the from of Alaphillipe.

 

[Koronin]

Re: Re:

I'm starting this Alaphilippe guy is pretty good

I am not so sure that Valverde didn't change hosts before the Tour. Took the from of Alaphillipe.

LOL, give himself a younger body so he can keep racing for another 15 or more years.

 

[jmdirt]

JA is "on" now, I could see him winning San Sebastian.

 

[tobydawq]

Re:

JA is "on" now, I could see him winning San Sebastian.

I don't think you were the only won who had seen that

You mean Worlds?

 

[Leinster]

Re: Re:

JA is "on" now, I could see him winning San Sebastian.

I don't think you were the only won who had seen that

You mean Worlds?

Has to be a contender for Lombardia, too.

 

[tobydawq]

Re: Re:

JA is "on" now, I could see him winning San Sebastian.

I don't think you were the only won who had seen that

You mean Worlds?

Has to be a contender for Lombardia, too.

Maybe San Sebastián next year?

 

[jmdirt]

Re: Re:

JA is "on" now, I could see him winning San Sebastian.

I don't think you were the only won who had seen that

You mean Worlds?

http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/clasica-ciclista-san-sebastian-2018/results/

I saw the finish when I posted that T-in-C (I figured that the time stamp would give it away).

He's on a roll for sure, but how will he stretch it to worlds? I haven't looked at his schedule between now and then.

 

[Akuryo]

He said he will take a break now, cause he already felt tired during the race and did not think he could actually win it. But I dont know how long that break will be ...

 

[can3478]

Re:

He said he will take a break now, cause he already felt tired during the race and did not think he could actually win it. But I dont know how long that break will be ...

No info from QS or Alaphilippe, but PCS shows Alaphilippe's next race is Tour de Slovaquie, Sept. 12-16. This is interesting because looking at last year edition, not a single world tour team was present at Tour de Slovaquie. PCS shows that QS is sending its A team to this year edition with Alaphilippe, Jungels, Lampaert, Stybar, Terpstra ...

 

[Tim Booth]

Re: Re:

He said he will take a break now, cause he already felt tired during the race and did not think he could actually win it. But I dont know how long that break will be ...

No info from QS or Alaphilippe, but PCS shows Alaphilippe's next race is Tour de Slovaquie, Sept. 12-16. This is interesting because looking at last year edition, not a single world tour team was present at Tour de Slovaquie. PCS shows that QS is sending its A team to this year edition with Alaphilippe, Jungels, Lampaert, Stybar, Terpstra ...

"For the first time we will be visited by two teams of category UCI WorldTeams, namely Bora - hansgrohe and Quick-Step Floors."
The 20 teams riding listed here
http://www.okoloslovenska.com/en/news/we-know-the-line-up-of-peloton-of-62nd-edition-top-teams-will-be-welcomed

 

[Tim Booth]

Alaphilippe to ride Ovo Energy Tour of Britain

 

[wirral]

Alaphilippe to ride Tour de Slovaquie

 

[can3478]

A fun day for QS at Tour of Britain.

From QS twitter - For today's #OVOToB stage, which takes place in Nottinghamshire, D'Artagnan has morphed into Robin Hood and got himself prepared for a new raid.

From QS race report - Julian Alaphilippe is less than 24 hours and 77 kilometers away from clinching the second general classification victory of his career, after navigating the longest stage of the Tour of Britain shepherded by his Quick-Step Floors merry teammates, who escorted him through the famous Sherwood Forest, avoiding the traps laid by the pouring rain and the slippery roads and safely bringing him to the finish in Mansfield, after five exhausting hours in the saddle.

 

[Koronin]

Re:

A fun day for QS at Tour of Britain.

From QS twitter - For today's #OVOToB stage, which takes place in Nottinghamshire, D'Artagnan has morphed into Robin Hood and got himself prepared for a new raid.

From QS race report - Julian Alaphilippe is less than 24 hours and 77 kilometers away from clinching the second general classification victory of his career, after navigating the longest stage of the Tour of Britain shepherded by his Quick-Step Floors merry teammates, who escorted him through the famous Sherwood Forest, avoiding the traps laid by the pouring rain and the slippery roads and safely bringing him to the finish in Mansfield, after five exhausting hours in the saddle.

:lol: :lol: Glad to see the team is having some fun.

 

[can3478]

A short video of 2018 Clasica San Sebastian with beautiful background music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfXd9dsMsH8

 

[Gigs_98]

Re:

A short video of 2018 Clasica San Sebastian with beautiful background music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfXd9dsMsH8

Such short, much beautiful

 

[can3478]

A short video of Alaphilippe climbing the "Highway to Hell", if you scroll up/down the tweets, see Bardet & Pinot too, plus picture of Segan and Jungels.
https://twitter.com/RenaudB31/status/1045968502857900032/video/1

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/world-championships-alaphilippe-primed-for-innsbruck-victory

Alaphilippe prepares for WC, https://www.instagram.com/p/BoL9mmEhIkJ/?hl=en&taken-by=alafpolak

 

[Breh]

Can't choose between Alaphilippe and Valverde

 

[tobydawq]

Re:

Can't choose between Alaphilippe and Valverde

Then pick Valverde. The other will have many more opportunities in the future.

 

[Red Rick]

Re:

Can't choose between Alaphilippe and Valverde

Uuhh

Yeah Alaphilippe

 

[can3478]

Re:

Can't choose between Alaphilippe and Valverde

Yates, Dumolin and many others pointing to Alaphilippe as the favorite, so everyone will be marking him, it's going to be super hard to win.

 

[Gigs_98]

Re:

Can't choose between Alaphilippe and Valverde

Unpopular opinion but I think neither will even come close to gold