Teams & Riders Julian Alaphilippe Discussion Thread

[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.

 

[Zoef-Lightning]

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.

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.

 

[Velolover2]

No MVDP or WVA in Omloop.

Ala , the new cobbles star and race favorite? His performance on Koppenberg was amazing. I can't wait to see him on the Kappelmuur.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

No MVDP or WVA in Omloop.

Ala , the new cobbles star and race favorite? His performance on Koppenberg was amazing. I can't wait to see him on the Kappelmuur.

No Sagan either. Alaphilippe should definitely be the big favorite here.

 

[Boes]

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]

Okay, but that's enough praise now. Don't ruin my cq game, Julian. One win this season will be enough for you.

 

[RedheadDane]

Okay, but that's enough praise now. Don't ruin my cq game, Julian. One win this season will be enough for you.

I... don't think he's gonna listen.

 

[BlueRoads]

I... don't think he's gonna listen.

At a certain point, let's say when he has reached 800 cq points this year, he should take the time for his girlfriend and his child. That's just a father's duty.

 

[tobydawq]

At a certain point, let's say when he has reached 800 cq points this year, he should take the time for his girlfriend and his child. That's just a father's duty.

He'll probably have Hodeg babysit for him.

 

[BlueRoads]

He'll probably have Hodeg babysit for him.

Sorry, but Hodeg will be quite busy, winning green jerseys and stuff...

 

[Breezy1985]

Sorry, but Hodeg will be quite busy, winning green jerseys and stuff...

Winning them as part of Sams lead out you mean ?

 

[cen]

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..

 

[BlueRoads]

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..

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?

 

[Samu Cuenca]

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.

 

[will-10]

If you win, you didn't celebrate too early.

 

[BlueRoads]

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.

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.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

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.

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]

So, regarding Strade Bianchi, Lefevere confirmed Julian was having cramps and was not at the top of his game.

 

[johnymax]

So, regarding Strade Bianchi, Lefevere confirmed Julian was having cramps and was not at the top of his game.

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.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

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.

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".

 

[johnymax]

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".

This is true.

 

[Vroome.exe]

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..

Just to remind everyone, he hasn't lost a single race in his career due to celebrating too early.

 

[BlueRoads]

Just to remind everyone, he hasn't lost a single race in his career due to celebrating too early.

C'est vrai.

 

[Salvarani]

Bit premature, perhaps... but curse of the rainbow jersey anyone?

Lets see what the Ardennes races bring.

 

[Skalman]

Bit premature, perhaps... but curse of the rainbow jersey anyone?

Lets see what the Ardennes races bring.

Why? because he didnt win just today?