Teams & Riders Julian Alaphilippe Discussion Thread

[Salvarani]

It would be a bit of a shame if perhaps the best hilly classics rider of his generation was to finish his career without ever winning LBL.

I think he had a very good run 2018-2021, where he arguably might have been the best, but if it makes him the best hilly classics rider of a generation... I dont know about that.

 

[Rob5091]

Good to see QS went with my suggestion and plan to send Alaphillippe to the Tour. Get him there and wave the ol' Tricolore , Vive La France (or whatever Frenchman say), allez allez and warm the cockles of ol' man Lefevere's heart, before he sells him off to Arkea-Samsic or some other team.

 

[Lequack]

All the people who didn't write one sentence in this thread when he had his big successes, but come here to say he's washed now...

I guess it's the pressure, or curse, of being a good French (GC) rider. It happens to everyone. And Lafavere certainly isn't helping with his always negative talk.

 

[IndianCyclist]

I think he will go to a French team probably Total after Sagan retired. Lefevre is not going to resign him.

 

[the asian]

There's a Valverde era and there's a Pogacar era in hilly classics....

In comparison to the Bettinis of this world he did have the rotten luck of Lombardia becoming a straight up climbers race.

Well, Ala is in the Sagan, Kwiatkowski generation.

A generation who did well at the Worlds but underperformed in Monuments

 

[tobydawq]

Well, Ala is in the Sagan, Kwiatkowski generation.

A generation who did well at the Worlds but underperformed in Monuments

As generations are known for.

 

[Skijumper Roglic fan]

My summary of the spring, now that Giro and summer come:

Alaphilippe is not a part of the Big Seven any more.

(Current Big Seven: WVA-MvdP-Pidcock + Pog-Rog-Remco-Vingegaard)

Ala might leave Soudal. Maybe the right time to join a new hopeful project? Why not join CIC U Nantes Atlantique, for example? They are CT now (since 2022), and certainly would love to have Ala on board…

 

[Blanco]

My summary of the spring, now that Giro and summer come:

Alaphilippe is not a part of the Big Seven any more.

(Current Big Seven: WVA-MvdP-Pidcock + Pog-Rog-Remco-Vingegaard)

Ala might leave Soudal. Maybe the right time to join a new hopeful project? Why not join CIC U Nantes Atlantique, for example? They are CT now (since 2022), and certainly would love to have Ala on board…

Current big 7 isn't a big 7 but big 6, and Pidcock isn't part of it.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

As generations are known for.

Lol. Maybe WVA and Pozzato from the same generation ???

 

[Tim Cahill]

Well he still has another year left on the contract after this one, hopefully he goes full Gareth Bale and runs it until the end to wind Lefevere up, posting pictures of himself on the golf course during big races.

 

[CyclistAbi]

He was not bad today at LBL. The main problem is in the past, on a race like this, the team would work for him. And he would have the freedom to compete for himself. Now it's hard to see beyond the team working for Evenepoel.

So likely Ala should decide, during the time left on this contract, if that is good enough for him or if best to move forward. If he would still like to have good opportunities then likely it makes sense to work hard and grab opportunities that are still there and after the contract expires to change teams. As if he would give up now mentally and physically. Due to the condition he is in. That wouldn't be good long term.

 

[Bolder]

He was a great teammate, as were all the QS riders. Agree that if he's not able to compete for wins there he needs a reset. Cofidis could be a good match.

 

[Wyndbrook]

I think he can still win big.
He has constantly gone from injury to illness to injury over the last couple of years.
To win you have to be right on top of your game.
If he can get a clear run he can still end up having a good season.

 

[ppanther92]

I wonder what would keep him from winning big. Last year he just was injured year round. He still won the WCRR 21 in convincing fashion. But to see him like so far this season is a bit sad.

 

[dazaau]

All this Ala is finished talk on here and he goes wins a stage and no one posts! I don't really follow him but it was a nice win and it's good to see him back after a series of serious setbacks

 

[hfer07]

At last ALA gets to savor victory So happy for him, given the bumpy road he'd dealt with over the last year with crashes, illness & Lefevere

 

[Oldermanish]

Good to see QS went with my suggestion and plan to send Alaphillippe to the Tour. Get him there and wave the ol' Tricolore , Vive La France (or whatever Frenchman say), allez allez and warm the cockles of ol' man Lefevere's heart, before he sells him off to Arkea-Samsic or some other team.

Loved how well Julian surfed the front of the pack and picked the best leadout....That it was an EF rider and not a teammate might have been why his finish salute looked more like a gesture to Patrick for making him option #4 in the sprint. "but now, Yeah...I'm thinking I'm back!"

 

[DNP-Old]

So Lefevere’s approach worked after all.

 

[tobydawq]

So Lefevere’s approach worked after all.

Lol.

 

[Purito1991]

i think he will be really good at the tour.

 

[Oldermanish]

i think he will be really good at the tour.

I think he'll have his moments. Today he lost the ambition for a stage and, when the GC pack caught him he put it in cruise mode. I think he went deep and knew there was nothing more to be gained by self-flagellation. That's smarter than years past and he knows what his current limits are. How much more he can make up is up to him and whomever he's motivated to ride with on his team.
Honestly neither he nor Remco would stand a chance against Vingegaard even if they were both healthy. Add Pogacar; who will be ready when it counts and the rest of the pack will be searching for opportunities to get a stage or scratch for the podium. Maybe a stage.

 

[DNP-Old]

i think he will be really good at the tour.

Me too. What a masterclass by Lefevere.

 

[Faserr]

An active no-gc Alaphilippe would be really good for the Tour.

 

[joseph89]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1706619726674194664

View: https://twitter.com/sports_fr/status/1706619726674194664?t=lekss3RKWLSSxACLX3N4FA&s=19


Alaphilippe narrowly escapes divorce

Warning: hyperbolic clickbait

 

[Skijumper Roglic fan]

Alaphilippe to start his season at TDU…

Good for the race, since he‘s still a two time World Champion.

He however recently was rather weak. His triceps and calves still show that he‘s in top shape, but he has become quite slow.

He nowadays cannot climb with the best any more. He lacks explosiveness and endurance. As soon as they hit the mountains, Alaphilippe gets dropped quite quickly.

After 2019 I thought he climbs well enough to win the TdF one day. But nowadays you have dozens who climb better than him.

The thing is, he‘s the man tailormade for LBL. Now probably he won’t ever win it.

You see how drastically Soudal QS as a team has deteriorated when you see that Ala is still one of their top stars. He certainly still gets paid incredibly well, but seems that his best days are long gone.

I don’t doubt that he works incredibly hard. It‘s rather that he‘s just not good enough any more, which he cannot change, of course. This decline came surprisingly early, imho.

I think he should go the way Froome went. Performance deteriorates, so Froome gets closer and is more open to his fans. I think Alaphilippe should do the same. He isn’t open to his fans, yet. He „hides“, and seems a bit inaccessible.

If he wants to stay „relevant“, and continues deteriorating performance-wise, he should change his public appearance: be like Froome, more nice, more entertaining, more enjoyable, be closer to the fan community.

The thing is, Lefevere doesn’t fear criticizing him publicly, but that’s all PL does. Just like as it was in Museeuw’s or Boonen‘s case, Alaphilippe is already bigger than PL. PL knows that. But tbh, Museeuw‘s and Boonen’s decline came later and less drastic than in Ala‘s case.