Teams & Riders Julian Alaphilippe Discussion Thread

[IndianCyclist]

For all his panache in the WRR, i find it odd that for a puncheur, he does not have Amstel, LBL or Lombardia to his name. I would say that with a singular focus on a single race, he performs pretty well but when races are clustered together, he maybe a hit and miss.

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

So they definitely have an insane hard on for Alaphilippe

Do a person really like cycling if he doesn't have an hard on for Ala?

 

[Leinster]

For all his panache in the WRR, i find it odd that for a puncheur, he does not have Amstel, LBL or Lombardia to his name. I would say that with a singular focus on a single race, he performs pretty well but when races are clustered together, he maybe a hit and miss.

He’s been close at LBL at least twice, won the group sprint behind his teammate’s solo win another time, and has a podium at Lombardia.

Liege is the kind of race that isn’t kind to people who “should” win it; any number of puncheurs have that hole in the palmares, all the while Bala and Argentin were able to win it at their leisure.

 

[johnymax]

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.

 

[Red Rick]

He’s been close at LBL at least twice, won the group sprint behind his teammate’s solo win another time, and has a podium at Lombardia.

Liege is the kind of race that isn’t kind to people who “should” win it; any number of puncheurs have that hole in the palmares, all the while Bala and Argentin were able to win it at their leisure.

Well the old Liege was extremely favorable to the best rider for that parcours.

 

[BlueRoads]

 

[Salvarani]

But it's a French magazine which gives the award.

Flèche Wallonne + Tour stage (with yellow) + "historical" ride in WC means he'll be in contention. And recency bias does affect this sort of thing.

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

 

[Salvarani]

It is crazy to think he could have Flanders last year as well. He looked very strong, maybe even stronger than WVA and MVDP that day. We will never know though because of the mistake he made. He might not get another opportunity like that in that race in the future. It would be unfortunate.

 

[Skalman]

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.

Do you know where i can watch a replay of the race with English commentary?

 

[johnymax]

Do you know where i can watch a replay of the race with English commentary?

Try here

 

[limak_]

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.

Same here. Just rewatched the final 30 kms to see if there was anything that Belgians, Italians or anyone else could do differently to prevent him from winning. Of course, the most obvious Belgians' error had been made before by wasting Remco that early in the race. Also, I feel that in those last kms there was a lot of misscomunication between van Aert and Stuyven in terms of who was riding for who and as a result they were both spent before Ala's final punch (well, everyone was spent XD)

If a rider attacks on a climb and gets a gap, then goes solo full gas on the flat for a few hundred meters and get caught, then attacks again on the next climb distancing everyone, then get caught again and then finally attacks for the 3rd time (all of that happened in the span of 6 minutes and after he's already attacked twice and formed the final group of contenders before) and is able to gain a 50m gap in like 10s - well, I don't think I've seen such a dominant performance in any 1-day race for years.

 

[SHAD0W93]

But it's a French magazine which gives the award.

Flèche Wallonne + Tour stage (with yellow) + "historical" ride in WC means he'll be in contention. And recency bias does affect this sort of thing.

They also have a French velo’dor

 

[Sciatic]

It was so much more enjoyable to watch the awards ceremonies at this worlds with the great crowds closer to the stage, instead of riders on podium looking down on empty squares and plazas. I know the reason why that was, but this made me realize how much the crowds add to the viewing experience just viewing through my computer monitor.

 

[fbjim]

He’s been close at LBL at least twice, won the group sprint behind his teammate’s solo win another time, and has a podium at Lombardia.

Liege is the kind of race that isn’t kind to people who “should” win it; any number of puncheurs have that hole in the palmares, all the while Bala and Argentin were able to win it at their leisure.

Jalabert is the big one there, he's exactly the type of rider who was more or less made to win both LBL and a "normal" Worlds parcours and those are the two big races he never won

 

[Tonton]

Same here. Just rewatched the final 30 kms to see if there was anything that Belgians, Italians or anyone else could do differently to prevent him from winning. Of course, the most obvious Belgians' error had been made before by wasting Remco that early in the race. Also, I feel that in those last kms there was a lot of misscomunication between van Aert and Stuyven in terms of who was riding for who and as a result they were both spent before Ala's final punch (well, everyone was spent XD)

If a rider attacks on a climb and gets a gap, then goes solo full gas on the flat for a few hundred meters and get caught, then attacks again on the next climb distancing everyone, then get caught again and then finally attacks for the 3rd time (all of that happened in the span of 6 minutes and after he's already attacked twice and formed the final group of contenders before) and is able to gain a 50m gap in like 10s - well, I don't think I've seen such a dominant performance in any 1-day race for years.

I agree. However, watching the race, I felt that Alaf' had burnt too many cartridges too early, so when he launched his last attack, my reaction was that he was giving it all in a final, maybe desperate attempt. I didn't believe that JA would make it, but instead die like a Spartan, going down in style. "win or die trying" if you will. Maybe some of the other riders thought so too initially. I was wrong. And I'm glad that I was. It was a win for the ages.

 

[Red Rick]

I agree. However, watching the race, I felt that Alaf' had burnt too many cartridges too early, so when he launched his last attack, my reaction was that he was giving it all in a final, maybe desperate attempt. I didn't believe that JA would make it, but instead die like a Spartan, going down in style. "win or die trying" if you will. Maybe some of the other riders thought so too initially. I was wrong. And I'm glad that I was. It was a win for the ages.

When he went a second time on the penultimate lap I basically realised he was just the best guy in the race and he would just attack every hill until nothing but a bloody mess of riders was left behind him.

 

[Volderke]

I realized he was the best, the moment he went to the team car in between the Flandrien circuit and the local lap, somewhere around 220-230K in the race. Remco was towing the group as hard as he could, while Alaphilippe talked to Voeckler for minutes, next to the car, in the wind, at around 50 meters behind the group. At no moment Alaphilippe was fearing to get dropped. The moment he was finished talking, he didn't take a big push from the car. He just accelerated very hard but with a lot of punch and got back to the back of that group in no time. I thought you wouldn't do this kind of efforts when you're not totally relaxed and still have a lot to give.

 

[tobydawq]

I realized he was the best, the moment he went to the team car in between the Flandrien circuit and the local lap, somewhere around 220-230K in the race. Remco was towing the group as hard as he could, while Alaphilippe talked to Voeckler for minutes, next to the car, in the wind, at around 50 meters behind the group. At no moment Alaphilippe was fearing to get dropped. The moment he was finished talking, he didn't take a big push from the car. He just accelerated very hard but with a lot of punch and got back to the back of that group in no time. I thought you wouldn't do this kind of efforts when you're not totally relaxed and still have a lot to give.

I also noticed how he refused to take the bar that he was offered and hence, the sticky bottle (which was a good thing as it was just before a corner).

 

[Skalman]

Try here

Thanks alot!

 

[noob]

Is Ala season over now?

 

[BlueRoads]

Is Ala season over now?

He's on the list for Lombardia. I suppose no matter what he wants, at least the sponsors will go crazy if he doesn't do any racing anymore.

 

[noob]

He's on the list for Lombardia. I suppose no matter what he wants, at least the sponsors will go crazy if he doesn't do any racing anymore.

Oh, so that must have happened after worlds! He wasn't on the list before. Too bad for Remco and Almeida But it would be fun to see them all in the same race

 

[BlueRoads]

Oh, so that must have happened after worlds! He wasn't on the list before. Too bad for Remco and Almeida But it would be fun to see them all in the same race

I think they are all doing it... don't know how exactly they'll play it. Almeida should be best suited to the new route, but since he's leaving the team maybe they will just go with three leaders?

 

[dercuforever]

I'm not sure that Alaphilippe burned much more cartridges than the others :
As Voeckler explained in a post-race ITW, this time Alaphilippe just sat up whenever he looked back and saw the whole group together, which meant people were still there to work for their leader.
For every attack except the one where colbrelli went with him, the others spent energy trying not to get dropped, and in that kind of climb, not much is gained from being in a group. Come the flat part, Alaphillipe is already caught.

1st attack @58k : Wva, stuyven did probably the same effort as JA, because they took turns after the climb.
then Remco drived the group, with Wva sometime behind him ( so 30% in the wind )
2nd attack @49k : This time Ala did a bigger effort than Wva, only colbrelli followed him. But to catch the 2, Wva and stuyven took turns so overall they also used energy.
then Remco again on the front, and ala talking with the Voeckler.
from 27 to 23 some accelerations but Ala stayed in the back and was probably able to have a more constant pace.
3rd attack @21.7 km : Madouas hits the afterburner and drop everyone but Ala. Wva starts the climb at least 8 m behind the two frenchmans, he almost catch up before Ala goes.
I'm not sure Ala burned more energy than Wva for this attack.
then people took turns with Ala before the last attack :
4rd attack : @17.4km : no one seems to try to follow him. Some people go but maybe not the strongests (Pidcock, Colbrelli).
at 10k, only 10sec, they maybe had a chance to catch him, but they attacked each other instead.

To me Ala was the strongest, but maybe not that much. Maybe Colbrelli, Pidcock, or even Valgren could have stayed with/catch him if they raced differently.
Some of the strong guys only watched on Wva and Vdp to do everything, and that cost them at least a medal.

 

[noob]

I think they are all doing it... don't know how exactly they'll play it. Almeida should be best suited to the new route, but since he's leaving the team maybe they will just go with three leaders?

Let's hope they just go attacking bonanza. I almost think that would be the smartest way to stand a chance against JV.

Also imagine how fun to watch!