He came 9th in MSR, and could have easily gone top 5, if he had not had that puncture in the final. I don’t think cobblestones is his natural terrain, even if he has been good at it during his peak. We will judge him after the ardennes. This year he does not have an excuse to underperform there.
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He is clearly past his absolute peak ... and he has young hungry young dudes to contend with now ... the Morgado/Del Toro generation. But I think he's still capable of solid results. But the Wolfpack do seem to have lost their way all round. Perhaps having such a focus upon Evenepoel (no criticism there) has its unintended consequences.
He's washed. Or as the French would say, rincé.
70th yesterday in Flanders. I think the actual numbers (time specifically) says everything: He finished 7:43 behind VdP over 6 hours in one of the hardest races of the year... i.e. that's the difference between a supersonic godman like Van der Poel & a washed up former champ like Alaphilippe.
Point being: I can totally see 'why' & how his training numbers were seen as good. At face value his physical performance (in the fastest ever Flanders fwiw) is still incredible. I have no doubt he was feeling like he had a decent level, actually. But there's 69 riders out there who were better.
Everyone is going faster. Alaphilippe is going incredibly fast but just not fast enough anymore. I don't see how he'll be able to win one of the big races again, i.e. not against the current stars of cycling. He can probably still grab some GT stage wins though.
70th yesterday in Flanders. I think the actual numbers (time specifically) says everything: He finished 7:43 behind VdP over 6 hours in one of the hardest races of the year... i.e. that's the difference between a supersonic godman like Van der Poel & a washed up former champ like Alaphilippe.
Point being: I can totally see 'why' & how his training numbers were seen as good. At face value his physical performance (in the fastest ever Flanders fwiw) is still incredible. I have no doubt he was feeling like he had a decent level, actually. But there's 69 riders out there who were better.
Everyone is going faster. Alaphilippe is going incredibly fast but just not fast enough anymore. I don't see how he'll be able to win one of the big races again, i.e. not against the current stars of cycling. He can probably still grab some GT stage wins though.
It looks like he just can't go beyond 200 km anymore (I'm not totally discounting MSR but that's 225k of mostly zone 2 riding...). So, either he tries some radically different training or decides to step down a level. It's too bad but it happens to every rider at some point.
I'm also wondering especially why Asgreen fell off a cliff, too. (not to mention Lampaert/Mauri etc also underperforming). After all, Asgreen straight up beat MvdP in a monument and could climb pretty well, too.
He is no doing Ardennes, after Flanders the plan was to take a break and then go to training camp for giro
I know a reason but it's not for here. Has to do with some QS personal leaving a few years ago
Alaphillipe, Masnada, Honore, Cavendish, Bennett, Almida, Lampaert, senechal, asgreen, ballerini, Cattaneo were all world beaters in 2021!!!
Really!? What are QS thinking? Even an Alaphilippe at 90 % has a chance of winning Fleche.
Absolutely horrible.
Ala should have a spot on the Ardennes team but it is a one-man show at the team now, that has ruined their classics squad completely.
At 100 % he was beating peak Roglic and Valverde by several bike lengths. In 2022 he was in much worse shape than now, but still came 4th.
Was he?
Anyway, Remco is calling the shots for Ardennes, and I think he doesn't want Ala around. On top of that, he's on bad terms with the boss, so he got Flanders classics and Giro.
I think you are spot on.
That they sent him to Australia is also some sabotage.
Should have started with Provence or the Faun-Ardeché and Drome Classic instead.
Then SB-TA-MSR.
He could have done Dwars and Ronde or gone Basque before Ardennes. That would have been good prep with the above to be at his best in the Ardennes.
The whole team is suffering and it definitely seem like Ala, in particular, has been left with the pieces that Remco doesnt want this season.
I mean the Alaphilippe of 2024 at 100%. Not the Alaphilippe of 2020, because the latter is never coming back.
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Thats cool.
Making him miss the whole Ardennes? Thats really harsh imo.
His best cobbles results came, shocker, when he was arguably one of the best riders in the peloton and won a lot of the races he was more suited to.
Making him ride races where he has only really performed when he was in super-great form... over sending him to races like Amstel, Fleche and Liege where he could still probably manage great results... is poor from the team imo.
It really shows one guy means more than any other rider on the team and it is showing results-wise this spring and has for a couple of years now.
It has nothing to do with Evenepoel, as they get along great and Evenepoel has repeatedly asked for Alaphilippe to be in his team. So if it were up to him, Alaphilippe would likely have done the Ardennes and not the cobbled classics. He again has asked for Alaphilippe to be on the TDF squad.
The team just felt the need to mix it up, as Alaph was simply not performing anymore for far too long. Maybe the program they gave him wasn't a success, but just to wait, do nothing and hope for things to magically change, was also not a solution. His results simply did not warrant him getting first choice in his program. If his results would still have been like they were 4 years ago, there is no doubt in my mind that he would still at the very least be co-leader in the Ardennes and would be going to the TDF.
The team just felt the need to mix it up, as Alaph was simply not performing anymore for far too long. Maybe the program they gave him wasn't a success, but just to wait, do nothing and hope for things to magically change, was also not a solution. His results simply did not warrant him getting first choice in his program. If his results would still have been like they were 4 years ago, there is no doubt in my mind that he would still at the very least be co-leader in the Ardennes and would be going to the TDF.
Julian Alaphilippe suffered a fractured knee in a crash at the Strade Bianche: "I didn't want to say it because I didn't want people to think I was making excuses". The Frenchman regrets having competed in the Flandriennes in these conditions.
View: https://twitter.com/LeGruppetto/status/1778461575621296640
WTF!?
View: https://twitter.com/LeGruppetto/status/1778461575621296640
WTF!?
It's actually sad that a rider who was until not long ago one of the best in the world feels so much pressure to perform that he goes and does something like this. Even the most ardent of haters would understand if he sat out the Flemish classics with such an injury, Lefevere included.
it's not sad... it's just plain stupid imho
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