Teams & Riders Julian Alaphilippe Discussion Thread

[hayneplane]

No way. Tour + Monument has Pogacar head and shoulders above everyone else.

Unless Roglic wins Lombardia then he would have Olympic Gold, Vuelta and Monument which I personally would place ahead of Pogacar especially as the only stage race they both finished (Pais Vasco) was won by Roglic albeit team tactics were a factor there/

 

[hfer07]

I wonder how much is Ala's contract worth with his new WRRC title...

 

[Unchained]

I watched the race for the third time and the win gets more epic everytime I watch. He is the baddest man on Earth. He should wear the rainbow jersey for life as far as I'm concerned.

I only differ slightly..I am an uber fan boy even if he didn't win..the style points alone have me rewatching the last 70k as motivation for life.. I loved the race and it set a tone

 

[Netserk]

A french magazine will most likely hold the winner of the Tour pretty high.

They didn't in 2019.

 

[Red Rick]

They didn't in 2019.

They held the 5th place finisher pretty high tho

 

[BlueRoads]

They held the 5th place finisher pretty high tho

Imagine Pogacar and Roglic had not left a huge impression this year, winning their GTs but not being the talk of the town, van der Poel wouldn't have done the Tour and Powless would have won the world championships... I think van Aert would have a pretty good shot at the award this year.
Ala won Strade, MSR, FW that year, two Tour stages, stages in all his stage races before the Tour, and had the yellow jersey for two weeks. If there was a dominating rider of 2019 it was him, not Bernal or Roglic, so no wonder they held him high.

 

[Netserk]

Imagine Pogacar and Roglic had not left a huge impression this year, winning their GTs but not being the talk of the town, van der Poel wouldn't have done the Tour and Powless would have won the world championships... I think van Aert would have a pretty good shot at the award this year.
Ala won Strade, MSR, FW that year, two Tour stages, stages in all his stage races before the Tour, and had the yellow jersey for two weeks. If there was a dominating rider of 2019 it was him, not Bernal or Roglic, so no wonder they held him high.

How was Rogla any less dominant? Sure, he blew the Giro (but was that really worse than Ala's Tour?), but Ala was a total no show in Liège, WCRR and Lombardia.

 

[BlueRoads]

How was Rogla any less dominant? Sure, he blew the Giro (but was that really worse than Ala's Tour?), but Ala was a total no show in Liège, WCRR and Lombardia.

It's not really about the failures. Roglic won that Vuelta, but still he didn't dominate it like "aww". I think Pogacar made just as big an impression then. And the Tour is just a way bigger race for me than the Vuelta. I think Roglic had a very good 2019 but he didn't make people's jaw drop, and by people I mean me, and apparently the l'Equipe team.

 

[Netserk]

It's not really about the failures.

It's not really about the wins either apparently (Rogla won more, bigger, and for longer).

While the Tour is of course the biggest race, Ala's performance there was an improved Voeckler. He didn't win the race, not even close. So it's not a 1:1 comparison with the Vuelta of Rogla. And if the Tour was so important, then surely Bernal had a far more impressive season?

 

[BlueRoads]

It's not really about the wins either apparently (Rogla won more, bigger, and for longer).

While the Tour is of course the biggest race, Ala's performance there was an improved Voeckler. He didn't win the race, not even close. So it's not a 1:1 comparison with the Vuelta of Rogla. And if the Tour was so important, then surely Bernal had a far more impressive season?

It's about the look of the whole season, a vote based on the impression someone made. If it was just about wins, places, failures in absolute terms a simple algorithm would be better, but it would also be unnecessary since we already have the ranking based on points for that. Of course a Tour win isn't everything, hence I'm very much okay with Roglic getting it last year. But if one was asked who was the rider of the year 2019 - it pretty clearly was Alaphilippe's year.

 

[manolo57]

The vélo d’or is voted by an international jury of journalists, it has nothing to do with the french origin of the magazine.

 

[Red Rick]

The vélo d’or is voted by an international jury of journalists, it has nothing to do with the french origin of the magazine.

I mean being a journalist doesn't mean much these days.

 

[manolo57]

I mean being a journalist doesn't mean much these days.

Yes the choice can be discussed but I just meant that Alaphilippe hasn’t won because the price comes from a French magazine.

 

[Salvarani]

They didn't in 2019.

Cool. I didnt say higher anyway.

It is a french magazine hence they will probably have the winner of the Tour on their mind and will be high on their list to give the award to. Especially if that rider has also won other major races and performed throughout the whole season.

Of course, a french magazine is likely to give it to a frenchman if that rider has had a great season and is the current world champion. No surprise there. Just for the performance and the way he won it, they might as well give it to him.

I wouldnt feel sorry if they gave it to either of Ala, WVA or Pog. But dont necessarily care who they give it too, lol. There is a case that could be made for either, looking at it objectively.

Lets see what happens in PR and Lombardia.

I dont know the voting process and was only commenting on the other poster I quoted, mentioning "french magazine" and within that context.

 

[cellardoor]

Looking at the list of winners, I don't see any obvious bias. Pretty sure it will go to Pogi this year unless Ala or Roglic win Lombardia, in which case it could be a close call.

 

[Leinster]

Looking at the list of winners, I don't see any obvious bias. Pretty sure it will go to Pogi this year unless Ala or Roglic win Lombardia, in which case it could be a close call.

I think TDF + Liege + Olympic RR medal trumps any combination available to other riders now.

 

[Red Rick]

Looking at the list of winners, I don't see any obvious bias. Pretty sure it will go to Pogi this year unless Ala or Roglic win Lombardia, in which case it could be a close call.

I think a few names are in the top 3 a bit often and lightly IMO. Actually Valverde in 2018 is a pretty insane pick as well.

And there's definitely a tendency for dank sympathy picks like Schleck in 2010, when his only official good result that year was a 2nd place in the Tour and he finished above Nibali who won the Vuelta and podiumed the Giro.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

I think TDF + Liege + Olympic RR medal trumps any combination available to other riders now.

Plus a few stage races (including the prestigious Tirreno). To me Pog is the rider of the season. Looking at UCI rankings only Van Aert is close but he probably won't pass Pog unless he wins PR and Pog screws his remaining races.

 

[Red Rick]

I think a few names are in the top 3 a bit often and lightly IMO. Actually Valverde in 2018 is a pretty insane pick as well.

And there's definitely a tendency for dank sympathy picks like Schleck in 2010, when his only official good result that year was a 2nd place in the Tour and he finished above Nibali who won the Vuelta and podiumed the Giro.

Only seeing now that in 2013 Sagan got 3rd in Velo d'Or over Cancellara who literally won Vlaanderen and Roubaix. So yeah so many popularity based picks.

Honestly Pogacar should 100% win Velo d'Or this year and Van Aert shouldn't top 3 unless he wins Roubaix.

 

[Netserk]

Only seeing now that in 2013 Sagan got 3rd in Velo d'Or over Cancellara who literally won Vlaanderen and Roubaix. So yeah so many popularity based picks.

Honestly Pogacar should 100% win Velo d'Or this year and Van Aert shouldn't top 3 unless he wins Roubaix.

Do you have Alaphilippe as 3rd over Van Aert, or do you rank Carapaz higher?

 

[Red Rick]

Do you have Alaphilippe as 3rd over Van Aert, or do you rank Carapaz higher?

Carapaz probably. Alaphilippe if he wins Lombardia.

Also would throw in Asgreen if he wins Roubaix.

 

[Leinster]

Or Stuyven if he wins Roubaix

 

[Netserk]

Or Stuyven if he wins Roubaix

Degenkolb didn't make the top-3 in 2015 (Froome > Sagan > Aru), so I don't think so. But a good case can be made, sure.

 

[Leinster]

Degenkolb didn't make the top-3 in 2015 (Froome > Sagan > Aru), so I don't think so. But a good case can be made, sure.

Roubaix wasn’t in October in 2015, and Degenkolb didn’t finish a prominent 4th at Worlds. Everything that top 3 did was fresher in the mind come voting time than Dege’s double.

I don’t think Stuyven will win it either, no matter what, but if he wins Roubaix tomorrow he does enter the conversation.

 

[Eeslliw]

What do you think about his chances in Il Lombardia next Saturday? Looking at this year route with not very long and too steep hills I think he should be one of the favorites.