Teams & Riders Julian Alaphilippe Discussion Thread

[ice&fire]

If this thread is to be renamed, the only correct name is:
Julian Alaphilippe Celebration Thread

 

[Hugo Koblet]

I'm applying for this thread title to be changed to "The Amazing Alaphilippe".
For the past two years he has practically lightened up every race he entered. Either he's on stunning form and cruises to success or he fails, but even than it's close to spectacular, for whatever reasons. He always gives his all. I know they all say they do, but Alaphilippe obviously does, even when as a spectator you have no clue what it's for, when there is no direct reward to be gained. One might hold that against him, regard it as an unnecessary show, but he just makes a race a race.

Totally agree. He' an amazing racer. I'm excited to see how he will try to sneak the overall GC in Provence today.

 

[Netserk]

In an age with many riders to cheer on, it’s good to have an antagonist. May Voeckler 2.0 have a lousy season.

 

[tobydawq]

In an age with many riders to cheer on, it’s good to have an antagonist. May Voeckler 2.0 have a lousy season.

Okay, that comparison makes no sense other than the yellow jersey thing and a few theatrics on the bike.

If you can't realise that Alaphilippe is a much better rider, you're quite blinded by dislike.

 

[Netserk]

No matter how good legs he has, he’s a clown.

 

[Breezy1985]

In an age with many riders to cheer on, it’s good to have an antagonist. May Voeckler 2.0 have a lousy season.

Says the fella with the Tom "coke and schoolgirls" Boonen avatar

 

[SafeBet]

Alaphilippe is exactly what this sport needs. A very marketable character in a cycling obsessed (at least historically) country, riding in the rainbow jersey as if every race was the last one of his career.

I'm grateful I can witness his prime.

 

[pastronef]

No matter how good legs he has, he’s a clown.

a clown for the way he lost Liege? ok, that was a facepalm moment.
yesterday he did his career best power effort for 30 minutes

I wasnt a fan. but I am not against him anymore. (the way he drives Antoine Vayer mad is just priceless. the way Vayer is obsessed by him and Marion Rousse is worth cheering for Alaph ahah)

 

[Netserk]

Says the fella with the Tom "coke and schoolgirls" Boonen avatar

While he at times was soft and whiny, for all of his career he was breathing class. The epitome of a champion.

 

[Netserk]

How much faster was he than on Baldy?

 

[pastronef]

his best previous 30 min effort was in Valmorel, Dauphiné 2018, so says Vayer

 

[BlueRoads]

If this thread is to be renamed, the only correct name is:
Julian Alaphilippe Celebration Thread

You're right, that's the perfect title!!

 

[armchairclimber]

He has Valverde's attributes (can climb, sprint) with the added compulsion to attack races, get in breaks, contest intermediate points (and he can time trial). The best bike racer in the world. There's only really Pogacar that I can think of who comes close... in time, maybe Evenepoel.

 

[Blanco]

It's debatable... I could argue that Roglic, Van Aert, Van Der Poel are better, for example.

 

[pink_jersey]

It's debatable... I could argue that Roglic, Van Aert, Van Der Poel are better, for example.

No way. Maybe results wise, yes but Alaf is a class act on the bike. He rides with a passion no one can match in the current peloton. He's the most spectacular rider in the world.

 

[tobydawq]

No way. Maybe results wise, yes but Alaf is a class act on the bike. He rides with a passion no one can match in the current peloton. He's the most spectacular rider in the world.

Anyone can make such a claim. It could also easily be said for Remco and Mathieu.

 

[armchairclimber]

It's debatable... I could argue that Roglic, Van Aert, Van Der Poel are better, for example.

I'm sure an argument could be made for most of those, though I can't see VDP climbing with the best. Roglic depends heavily upon his train and seems to race conservatively. Van Aert is up there for sure.

 

[Bolder]

It is a great debate. I think WvA could match Alaf for all around talent, although I'm pretty sure he would have been dropped on Ventoux going up against Alaf.
On the other hand, WvA and VdP are better pure sprinters. On the other, other hand, JA is an animator, whether or not he has the form.

But if you had to pick one rider for every type of race, I think JA is the best all-arounder right now.

I tend to watch cycling in the moment rather than with a historical eye, but having JA, the 2 CX guys, Pogacar and Remco in top form feels like we're truly blessed. And we 've still got Sagan and the older generation of GT riders still hanging on.

I did leave out Roglic on purpose. TBH I've cooled a bit on him only because the five riders I mentioned above are really exciting to watch as well as talented. But maybe Roglic has an epic ride in him this year and I'll throw him in the bag...

 

[Blanco]

I can't see VDP climbing with the best.

That didn't stop Boonen and Cancellara being among the very best riders of the current century...

 

[armchairclimber]

That didn't stop Boonen and Cancellara being among the very best riders of the current century...

Pah, file under "one trick pony"

 

[BlueRoads]

I think van Aert is comparable, an amazing allrounder, can sprint, time trial and also climb well, plus has the technique. I don't know about his limits, yet, but I feel that I don't know Ala's either. The Ventoux-performance was really astounding, climbing better than Ciccone, Mollema, Vlasov. But I don't know the numbers and where the others are in their preparation. I suppose Alaphilippe, with his focus on the spring, is further ahead. Anyway, it made me think that maybe I am wrong in repeating that he's a one-day-racer.
If Wout and Julian meet in a race and there's a poggio before the finish, Ala will always get away from van Aert, but what really makes the difference between them - so far I would still say van Aert has slightly more pure talent - is simply the way Alaphilippe races, the attitude and nature of his racing. It's different from everybody else in the peloton right now.

I am excited to see some head to heads this season. As a GT winner and almost Tour winner, Roglic cannot be rated behind Ala in terms of quality. Also, with his time trialing, his climbing, his punchiness he cannot be called a one-trick-pony. He's just a much more boring rider in my eyes.

Van der Poel has his niche as a threesome-cyclist and amazing qualities, but since I don't see him climbing with the very best (yet), for me he's behind van Aert and Alaphilippe as a road cyclist.

Pogacar is . Let's see what he will do this year.

And Evenepoel, if he comes back to his level before the crash, even improves, is clearly above Alaphilippe, not so much for his allrounding, more for the pure incredible pull.

 

[cantpedal]

It is a great debate. I think WvA could match Alaf for all around talent, although I'm pretty sure he would have been dropped on Ventoux going up against Alaf.
On the other hand, WvA and VdP are better pure sprinters. On the other, other hand, JA is an animator, whether or not he has the form.

But if you had to pick one rider for every type of race, I think JA is the best all-arounder right now.

I tend to watch cycling in the moment rather than with a historical eye, but having JA, the 2 CX guys, Pogacar and Remco in top form feels like we're truly blessed. And we 've still got Sagan and the older generation of GT riders still hanging on.

I did leave out Roglic on purpose. TBH I've cooled a bit on him only because the five riders I mentioned above are really exciting to watch as well as talented. But maybe Roglic has an epic ride in him this year and I'll throw him in the bag...

did Sagan just retire? If not how is he not in this discussion? 1 bad season (for him) and he's done?

 

[armchairclimber]

did Sagan just retire? If not how is he not in this discussion? 1 bad season (for him) and he's done?

No, but he can't climb with the best in the mountains. Amazing rider though (if a little bit marmite).

 

[Bolder]

did Sagan just retire? If not how is he not in this discussion? 1 bad season (for him) and he's done?

I have listed Sagan with the previous "generation" despite his age. I saw only one performance last year -- at the Giro -- to match his mid-2010s level. The other riders I listed had great years in 2020, in some cases both before and after lockdowns.

Sagan at, say, Richmond level was unbeatable. Sagan 2020 looked distinctly beatable. I'm happy to be proven wrong, the more riders with flair and the talent to back it up, the better. (Edit: It's true, he's not a climber, but he's done pretty well on courses like Bergen where you'd think he might not have been able to survive)

 

[tobydawq]

I have listed Sagan with the previous "generation" despite his age. I saw only one performance last year -- at the Giro -- to match his mid-2010s level. The other riders I listed had great years in 2020, in some cases both before and after lockdowns.

Sagan at, say, Richmond level was unbeatable. Sagan 2020 looked distinctly beatable. I'm happy to be proven wrong, the more riders with flair and the talent to back it up, the better. (Edit: It's true, he's not a climber, but he's done pretty well on courses like Bergen where you'd think he might not have been able to survive)

Bergen is the surprising hilly performance you can come up with for Sagan? Kristoff and Gaviria were in that group...

I'll try with Grindelwald 2011, Mur de Peguere 2012, Porto Sant'Elpidio 2013, Meiringen 2013, Mount Baldy 2015, Gap 2015, Fermo 2017 and then Tortoreto 2020.