Teams & Riders Julian Alaphilippe Discussion Thread

Page 48 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.
Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
Z

Zoef-Lightning

BANNED
Sep 21, 2020
550
379
4,280
BlueRoads said:
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 :openmouth::openmouth:. 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.
Click to expand...
Ala is better in climbing en explosivity than Van Aert. Maybe Van Aert is better in long and tough competitions. Van der Poel has the same explosivity than Ala, but is a lesser climber. Both, Van Aert and Van der Poel, are a little faster in the sprint than Ala. So, it will depend from the course or race tactics..... and of the teams and the teammates. There again, Ala has a better team. And in a year (or two), in a duo with Evenepoel, and helped by Almeida and Vansevenant in the mountains, and by other strong riders in the (hill) classics, they will be difficult to beat.
 
Boes

Boes

Oct 31, 2018
574
712
6,780
I had my eye on Wellens to, but he's got sick a few days ago.
Gilbert is going to try to peak early because of MSR, so he should be good to.

But If I had to put my money on 1 rider, it would be alaphilippe without a doubt.
A true world champion.
 
BlueRoads

BlueRoads

Jan 4, 2020
6,327
7,736
16,180
cen said:
So, how many races does Ala need to lose for early finish line celebrations before he learns a lesson? A risky move again today.

I quite like the guy but come on..
Click to expand...

He seems quite stubborn with this... but I think all of this is just training for an impressive Zabel-homage in Sanremo this year.

But yeah, please, mods, can we finally change the thread title to "Julian Alaphilippe Celebration thread", as it was suggested? :hearteyes:
 
  • Haha
  • Like
Reactions: gregrowlerson, Sandisfan and cen
Samu Cuenca

Samu Cuenca

Sep 26, 2020
24,229
26,049
22,180
I think he was in good control today. He may not have thought that van der Poel would come as close as he did, but there was still no real danger. Otherwise a lot of winning riders over the years shouldn't have celebrated before the line.
 
BlueRoads

BlueRoads

Jan 4, 2020
6,327
7,736
16,180
Samu Cuenca said:
I think he was in good control today. He may not have thought that van der Poel would come as close as he did, but there was still no real danger. Otherwise a lot of winning riders over the years shouldn't have celebrated before the line.
Click to expand...

I admit, had it been someone else I probably wouldn't have thought much about it. It's just that after what happened at LBL I would be so afraid to celebrate too early... than he goes and does the same a week later again... but gets the win... but then I would swear to myself this will never happen to me again... I'd rather celebrate 10 meters later... obviously his mind works differently.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sandisfan
Samu Cuenca

Samu Cuenca

Sep 26, 2020
24,229
26,049
22,180
BlueRoads said:
I admit, had it been someone else I probably wouldn't have thought much about it. It's just that after what happened at LBL I would be so afraid to celebrate too early... than he goes and does the same a week later again... but gets the win... but then I would swear to myself this will never happen to me again... I'd rather celebrate 10 meters later... obviously his mind works differently.
Click to expand...

He may also be celebrating the fact that he's good enough to do something like that. We'll have to wait and see whether he has learned his lesson when it comes to much closer sprints though.
 
Logic-is-your-friend

Logic-is-your-friend

Jun 7, 2011
20,312
19,231
28,180
johnymax said:
Of course he wasn't top of his game. But there was a reason he had cramps. He had to follow Mathieu's monster acceleration on Le Tolfe. He was suffering since then, it was evident.
Click to expand...
I don't think that's the actual reason he had cramps. If he'd be cramping every time he had to dig deep on a short steep climb, he'd be cramping on a weekly basis. He had cramps because he wasn't in top shape or maybe because he drank too little. This might have manifested at that exact moment you point out, but the cause was not "because he had to follow Mathieu".
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Share this page

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom