Wellens was active for the mountain jersey but not good enough in the biggest climbs. He and Trentin got two individual stage combativity awards. However neither was listed as a candidate in the public voting.
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He's the number one right now. Won Strade Bianche, Milano-Sanremo, Fleche Wallone and much more this year. Who would have thought he would Top 5 this TDF? Nobody probably. Chapeau Ala! You made this Tour so entertaining! Should win Super-combative.
I just hope this TDF didn't put any ideas in his head to think he can win a TDF. He'd have to make so many sacrifices that make him unique and fun to watch as a rider. It's like trying to turn Usain Bolt into a marathon runner. His explosiveness would be gone, he'd somehow have to remain patient for basically two weeks - which completely goes against who he is. He has no guarantees whatsoever he'll ever be able to compete with the lightweights.
He has all the talent in the world to win all five monuments, a world title and Olympic gold. Maybe then you can start thinking about a transition.
He has all the talent in the world to win all five monuments, a world title and Olympic gold. Maybe then you can start thinking about a transition.
Re:
Other than that, I agree with a lot of your post. But I think to become a “boring” racer would be to ignore the lessons of how he got himself into yellow and into 5th in this Tour. If he should, in future, choose to transition to a Tour GC rider, he would have to improve his high-altitude climbing, but not much else.
Look at the riders who said they “chose not to follow” his attacks into Epernay and St Etienne; Fuglsang was headed for anonymous top 10 before crashing out, and Martin had his worst Tour of his career. Whereas Pinot, who followed the St Etienne attack, was a genuine contender until his crash. On a route like this year’s, those hilly classic-type stages where so many GC riders think the “smart thing to do” is sit in the wheels and save energy, Alaf showed that there is definitely benefit to going out and taking chances and picking up time where you can.
He has more chance of winning the Tour than winning Roubaix.DNP-Old said:
Other than that, I agree with a lot of your post. But I think to become a “boring” racer would be to ignore the lessons of how he got himself into yellow and into 5th in this Tour. If he should, in future, choose to transition to a Tour GC rider, he would have to improve his high-altitude climbing, but not much else.
Look at the riders who said they “chose not to follow” his attacks into Epernay and St Etienne; Fuglsang was headed for anonymous top 10 before crashing out, and Martin had his worst Tour of his career. Whereas Pinot, who followed the St Etienne attack, was a genuine contender until his crash. On a route like this year’s, those hilly classic-type stages where so many GC riders think the “smart thing to do” is sit in the wheels and save energy, Alaf showed that there is definitely benefit to going out and taking chances and picking up time where you can.
Flanders next year, he says.
He also said: "Honestly I prefer to win 2 stages, dress yellow on 14/7 and win the super-combatif prize that end 3rd doing nothing all the Tour" lol...
He also said: "Honestly I prefer to win 2 stages, dress yellow on 14/7 and win the super-combatif prize that end 3rd doing nothing all the Tour" lol...
Setting aside whether he should make the necessary sacrifices to become a legit GT contender, what is his upside now that we’ve seen 3 weeks?
He has to be the (overwhelming) frontrunner for Velo d'Or at this point?
I would be shocked if he did not win the award this season.
I would be shocked if he did not win the award this season.
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Peter Sagan? Sean Kelly?
It looks like he is in the middle of a legendary career for sure
VayaVayaVaya said:
Peter Sagan? Sean Kelly?
It looks like he is in the middle of a legendary career for sure
Re: Re:
No doubt, to me he and Sagan are the best riders around and I think they’ll both be legends that transcend thei time period. I meant specifically in GTs tho. Say he commits to GTs because he like how he looks in yellow (or pink or red); what could he accomplish?
DanielSong39 said:
No doubt, to me he and Sagan are the best riders around and I think they’ll both be legends that transcend thei time period. I meant specifically in GTs tho. Say he commits to GTs because he like how he looks in yellow (or pink or red); what could he accomplish?
If he was serious about GT racing then the steppers need to recruit a couple of superdoms.
Would like to see him target the Olympic RR next year, then maybe have a go in the Vuelta.
Would like to see him target the Olympic RR next year, then maybe have a go in the Vuelta.
With Mas leaving, and Lefevere not sounding positive about being able to recruit support for a gc bid in 2020, who do Quickstep have in their current squad who could help in the mountains? Jungels could surely be an excellent Grand Tour dom. Serry and Vakoc have good climbing chops, but not much TdF history. Maybe Knox? Surely Remco isn’t ready yet, even if he ever is that kind of rider.
Re:
The Yorkshire course isn't easier than the Brabantse Pijl, where he was 2nd this year. He can certainly win, but he won't be the main favourit (that would be riders like Sagan and VDP, who are a bit faster than him on a flat finish).
I don't see him winning P-R the first few years, and I'm not sure about Lombardy if they maintain the current course. We have seen in the past that he has his limits when the climbing gets really tough, even when there are no real mountains, but only difficult hills (Olympic RR 2016, WCRR 2018, Itzulia 2018, T/A 2019,...). On the other hand, I think the transition to a GT rider has already been set in with his move to Andorra.
del1962 said:
The Yorkshire course isn't easier than the Brabantse Pijl, where he was 2nd this year. He can certainly win, but he won't be the main favourit (that would be riders like Sagan and VDP, who are a bit faster than him on a flat finish).
DNP-Old said:
I don't see him winning P-R the first few years, and I'm not sure about Lombardy if they maintain the current course. We have seen in the past that he has his limits when the climbing gets really tough, even when there are no real mountains, but only difficult hills (Olympic RR 2016, WCRR 2018, Itzulia 2018, T/A 2019,...). On the other hand, I think the transition to a GT rider has already been set in with his move to Andorra.
Alaphilippe - a pure cyclists in the best of French tradition.
I personally would love him to remain the same type of rider, despite his enormous success in this years tour as a GC contender, because he's much more entertaining, adaptable & complete, as opposed to become something that somewhat opposes his true nature....
The other aspect of becoming a real GC contender is his current team: Enric Mas was supposed to be the designated leader, and yet he could not do a single thing, nor the team ever had the depth to support any GC ambitions at all when Ala was in yellow- so IF he wants to become a serious GC contender, he has to go to a different team.... I bet somewhere along the road, INEOS have eyes on him
I personally would love him to remain the same type of rider, despite his enormous success in this years tour as a GC contender, because he's much more entertaining, adaptable & complete, as opposed to become something that somewhat opposes his true nature....
The other aspect of becoming a real GC contender is his current team: Enric Mas was supposed to be the designated leader, and yet he could not do a single thing, nor the team ever had the depth to support any GC ambitions at all when Ala was in yellow- so IF he wants to become a serious GC contender, he has to go to a different team.... I bet somewhere along the road, INEOS have eyes on him
hfer07 said:Alaphilippe - a pure cyclists in the best of French tradition.
I personally would love him to remain the same type of rider, despite his enormous success in this years tour as a GC contender, because he's much more entertaining, adaptable & complete, as opposed to become something that somewhat opposes his true nature....
The other aspect of becoming a real GC contender is his current team: Enric Mas was supposed to be the designated leader, and yet he could not do a single thing, nor the team ever had the depth to support any GC ambitions at all when Ala was in yellow- so IF he wants to become a serious GC contender, he has to go to a different team.... I bet somewhere along the road, INEOS have eyes on him
Rumor has it they wanted him this year but he extended (before the Tour) cause he wanted to win more monuments first. And for that he is definitely on the right team already.
Alaphiippe’s Tour de France 2019 photo journal:
As the tour heads back to France from Begium, Alaphilippe needs to take back more than 30s to get into yellow. He decided to attack 16km from the finish line.
On stage 6, Alaphilippe lost the yellow jersey by 6 seconds partly due to the team not able to bring the breakaway back. He attacked on the 20% gradient on La Planche des Belles Filles, but it wasn’t enough
The next available opportunity, he attacked from 13km from the finish line and got the jersey back. Notices that every time Alaphilippe and Pinot approach the finish line, Alaphilippe consciously falls back so that Pinot finishes ahead to take bonus seconds.
He went on to win ITT and held the jersey until stage 19.
As the tour heads back to France from Begium, Alaphilippe needs to take back more than 30s to get into yellow. He decided to attack 16km from the finish line.
On stage 6, Alaphilippe lost the yellow jersey by 6 seconds partly due to the team not able to bring the breakaway back. He attacked on the 20% gradient on La Planche des Belles Filles, but it wasn’t enough
The next available opportunity, he attacked from 13km from the finish line and got the jersey back. Notices that every time Alaphilippe and Pinot approach the finish line, Alaphilippe consciously falls back so that Pinot finishes ahead to take bonus seconds.
He went on to win ITT and held the jersey until stage 19.
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Sorry if I violate the ridiculous new forum rule about necro-bumping months-old-threads, but Alaphilippe just got the Vélo d'Or award.
I thought his lacklustre fall made it a lot less of a done deal than what it appeared to be after his fabulous spring and ditto Tour, and I wouldn't have batted an eye-lid if the award had gone to Bernal or Roglic instead.
But I think it's fair that he gets it, and it's understandable that that Tour performance impeded his condition for the remainder of the year.
I would be surprised if he is not either World or Olympic champion this time next year.
I thought his lacklustre fall made it a lot less of a done deal than what it appeared to be after his fabulous spring and ditto Tour, and I wouldn't have batted an eye-lid if the award had gone to Bernal or Roglic instead.
But I think it's fair that he gets it, and it's understandable that that Tour performance impeded his condition for the remainder of the year.
I would be surprised if he is not either World or Olympic champion this time next year.
He had a spectacular spring and a very good Tour so yeah, it was close with Bernal but not undeserved in my opinion.
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