This raises the question: What would Alaphilippe have to do to become a legitimate GC threat? (Yeah, I know, the cheap n easy answer is to sign with Ineos...).
Needs work:
--First, he'd need to figure out how to climb at altitude in the bunch. Would he need to lose weight? He's pretty small already, so probably not. It might just be tweaking the training a bit. He probably lose some explosiveness but that would be the tradeoff.
--TT, but he's already OK, so would need to do a winter of aero testing to see where he could gain a few seconds here and there.
--Can he get the support he needs at DQS? They might have to jettison any sprint ambitions, although Sunweb would have had both MM and TD this year.
Solid:
--he's very strong tactically and mentally. so no worries there.
--he's a great descender
--shouldn't get caught out or dropped on stages where there's a few hills or muritos and the end.
The real question is what is his value add to the GC field? He'll be unlikely to climb with, say, a Carapaz or Landa or Froome; same with TT with Dumoulin or Thomas or Roglic. I suspect his tactical savvy would make the difference.
I personally think he could podium at a GT next year if he and the team put their mind to it. Maybe not the Tour but why not the Vuelta? Change the program to have an early peak, then build form in training in July/August.
Let the road and the legs decide the time. Great have some sprint fun, but fake time has no place in the overall time.
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