Teams & Riders Julian Alaphilippe Discussion Thread

[Netserk]

Badass Rujano before the Giro '12.

Edit: Apparently the photo was from 2009, but given that I saw it here on the forum in '12, I thought it was from that year

 

[Tonton]

Re:

Badass Rujano before the Giro '12.

Edit: Apparently the photo was from 2009, but given that I saw it here on the forum in '12, I thought it was from that year

Found it! Thanks! Now I can quote you in many different ways besides the Black Album . Muhahahaha!!!

 

[Netserk]

That thread is pure gold. hrotha's post (viewtopic.php?p=825573#p825573) a bit above is the epitome of the Rujano hype. My favorite thread of this forum.

 

[can3478]

From https://twitter.com/quickstepteam/status/887366153529643008
"Great news! @alafpolak is returning to racing tomorrow, at the Grand Prix Cerami: http://www.quickstepfloorscycling.com/en/news/detail/quick-step-floors-team-to-grand-prix-cerami/3252 … "
"Sidelined in the past three months with a knee injury that kept him out of the Ardennes Classics and the Tour de France, Julian Alaphilippe will make his return to racing at Grand Prix Cerami ...

 

[Moviestar]

Re:

Belgian newspapers mentioning that he has GC ambitions aswell

Could make sense, he was spotted training in the mountains with Mas and De Plus

 

[DNP-Old]

Re:

Belgian newspapers mentioning that he has GC ambitions aswell

I wouldn't rule him out for a very good GC. He'll be as fresh as anyone, he has the climbing ability, to some extent at least, he can do very well in stages for bonus seconds, and he can TT.

 

[staubsauger]

He could really podium it, if he's back at 100%. I still believe he normally could've won P-N since he's a good enough climber. He's like Jalabert, who even won the Vuelta actually. Ain't it funny that the current generation of new French starlets more or less are fooster-sons of the 90s heroes? Bardet is Virenque, Pinto is LeBlanc and Alafpolak is Jalabert!

 

[Vroome.exe]

Re:

He could really podium it, if he's back at 100%. I still believe he normally could've won P-N since he's a good enough climber. He's like Jalabert, who even won the Vuelta actually. Ain't it funny that the current generation of new French starlets more or less are fooster-sons of the 90s heroes? Bardet is Virenque, Pinto is LeBlanc and Alafpolak is Jalabert!

What do you mean by "normally could've won P-N"? Because everything was normal and he didn't win it.

 

[staubsauger]

Re: Re:

He could really podium it, if he's back at 100%. I still believe he normally could've won P-N since he's a good enough climber. He's like Jalabert, who even won the Vuelta actually. Ain't it funny that the current generation of new French starlets more or less are fooster-sons of the 90s heroes? Bardet is Virenque, Pinto is LeBlanc and Alafpolak is Jalabert!

What do you mean by "normally could've won P-N"? Because everything was normal and he didn't win it.

I think he somehow hesitated and was dropped way earlier on the big mountain stage than he should have been. But let's see how his gc aspirations pan out at the Vuelta and especially next year!

 

[Tonton]

Re:

He could really podium it, if he's back at 100%. I still believe he normally could've won P-N since he's a good enough climber. He's like Jalabert, who even won the Vuelta actually. Ain't it funny that the current generation of new French starlets more or less are fooster-sons of the 90s heroes? Bardet is Virenque, Pinto is LeBlanc and Alafpolak is Jalabert!

Great to see that Pinot is Leblanc, after not being in the same class as Gadret . His stocks are up. Stage win? Then he'll be Virenque, Bardet will be Gadret, and Balaphilippe remains the legitimate successor of Don Alejandro.

Yes, at 100%, he's a GT poison with the right course and the Vuelta offers just that.

 

[yaco]

Just be happy for him to get race miles into his legs and possibly jag a stage win. Don't see him as a GC rider in a GT but the Vuelta is the one that best suits his capabilities.

 

[can3478]

From http://www.dhnet.be/sports/cyclisme/grand-prix-pino-cerami-le-retour-de-julian-alaphilippe-596e5faacd706e263ee20806

With the help of Google translate:

“After such an absence(more than 3 months,) can he hope to shine at the end of the season? "Yes, it is possible," replies sporting director Geert Van Bondt. "It's a huge talent, which is very young and does not need much to run to be performing." The rest of his program could be the Tour de Burgos and perhaps the Vuelta…”

So Julian will only have 6 racing days before starting his 2nd grand tour at La Vuelta.

 

[staubsauger]

A good TTT by Quick Step and he might be in striking distance for an early red jersey with those wall finishes prior to the true mountain stages. At least if he manages to get in peak shape with only Burgos in his legs.

 

[GuyIncognito]

Re:

He could really podium it, if he's back at 100%. I still believe he normally could've won P-N since he's a good enough climber. He's like Jalabert, who even won the Vuelta actually. Ain't it funny that the current generation of new French starlets more or less are fooster-sons of the 90s heroes? Bardet is Virenque, Pinto is LeBlanc and Alafpolak is Jalabert!

Démare is Frédéric Moncassin, Gallopin is Laurent Brochard, Bouhanni is Christophe Mendy...and so on

 

[can3478]

Coming back from a knee injury, Julian will start his first stage race in a few days. This
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtFrF5aB0zY
Contains some of the highlights of JA first part of this season, with his ITT win at Paris-Nice and the 3rd place finish at Milano-Sanremo. Froome and Contador's part are really good too.

 

[axl]

Obviously we were waiting more from him today but he could not have win anyway.
I think he just lack racing days and he should better every day and able to win stages and the second and third week, exactly like Barguil did in the Tour de France. He will be able to go in the breaks, and if he is at 100%, i don't see many guys that can beat him in mountainous terrain.

 

[Chrispol]

Again lack of tactical sense in the final today.

I thought that he was saving energy 2 days ago, but after today i'm not so confident about is form anymore, even if he says that he feels really good. Still a long way to go before a stage win is this Vuelta even if there is a lot of opportunities.

 

[Tonton]

Re:

Again lack of tactical sense in the final today.

I think that you're too tough on him. In retrospect, yes, he missed the good wagon, but being part of a larger group he could expect that the two up the road would burn themselves out and be caught. He must have looked good and scared the other riders: they never cooperated with him, letting him do most of the chasing. defensive riding cost them too. Julian will have other chances and win one. I'm really convinced that he will.

 

[yaco]

Alaphalippe will ride into the race and he's always a chance to win a stage.

 

[Chrispol]

For sure, he still has a chance to win a stage and he's going try again and again, but really his form is really disappointing. One month ago people was arguing whether he can do a good CG or not and now we hoping that he can maybe win a stage. Remember that he's not the kind of guy who wins a lot. Only 5 victories in his career, given his capabilities, that's a little bit underwhelming. And his form is not so good right now.

But maybe i'm just a little bit pessimistic as always with riders that i like.

 

[yaco]

Re:

For sure, he still has a chance to win a stage and he's going try again and again, but really his form is really disappointing. One month ago people was arguing whether he can do a good CG or not and now we hoping that he can maybe win a stage. Remember that he's not the kind of guy who wins a lot. Only 5 victories in his career, given his capabilities, that's a little bit underwhelming. And his form is not so good right now.

But maybe i'm just a little bit pessimistic as always with riders that i like.

What - He missed nearly 3 1/2 months of the season with injury - In fact he had 6 race days between early April and Mid Aug - You saw what happened to Chaves when he missed 4 months - He was nowhere in Dauphine or the TDF.

 

[Chrispol]

This is completely different from Chaves. Esteban had a ok level in the Dauphiné and in the first couple of stages of the Tour. I think the problem with Chaves was more mentally than physically. The death of his friend during the Tour has greatly affected him. His form never improved during the race, actually that was worst at the end of the Tour (36th on the 9th stage, 62th in the end). If the problem was a lack of race days, it should have been the contrary.

To get back to Alaphillipe, he was already at a good level in Burgos, but it doesn't looks like he has improved since.

 

[yaco]

Re:

This is completely different from Chaves. Esteban had a ok level in the Dauphiné and in the first couple of stages of the Tour. I think the problem with Chaves was more mentally than physically. The death of his friend during the Tour has greatly affected him. His form never improved during the race, actually that was worst at the end of the Tour (36th on the 9th stage, 62th in the end). If the problem was a lack of race days, it should have been the contrary.

To get back to Alaphillipe, he was already at a good level in Burgos, but it doesn't looks like he has improved since.

You have no idea - Chaves was fine on flat roads at the Dauphine and TDF but a million miles away in the mountains - Both had similar injuries - Chaves had knee tendinitis and Alaphalippe a knee injury and both had prolonged periods off the bike - Alaphalippe is going well considering his circumstances.

 

[Chrispol]

A million miles away in the mountains ? Really ? He was far from is best form but i was surprised to see him this good after his injury.

http://www.procyclingstats.com/race/Criterium_du_Dauphine_2017_Stage_7_Alpe_d_Huez
http://www.procyclingstats.com/race/Criterium_du_Dauphine_2017_Stage_6_VillarslesDombes

He was better in the Dauphine than in the Tour, it should have been the contrary. You can't say that his mental didn't affect his performance on the bike in the TDF.

I'm still not convinced by Julian.

 

[yaco]

Re:

A million miles away in the mountains ? Really ? He was far from is best form but i was surprised to see him this good after his injury.

http://www.procyclingstats.com/race/Criterium_du_Dauphine_2017_Stage_7_Alpe_d_Huez
http://www.procyclingstats.com/race/Criterium_du_Dauphine_2017_Stage_6_VillarslesDombes

He was better in the Dauphine than in the Tour, it should have been the contrary. You can't say that his mental didn't affect his performance on the bike in the TDF.

I'm still not convinced by Julian.

Of course we are not convinced by Alaphalippe because he's not in 100% condition - As some have posted he's a chance to win a stage at the Vuelta if he rides into the race - You have no idea about Chaves - Dauphine and the TDF were training rides HOPING he would have form for the Vuelta.