To play Devil's advocate with myself he did beat Majka and Barguill in the KotM last year, but I don't recall it being a contest where Alaphillipe was going head to head with climbers and beating them (like when Sammy Sanchez won it). I can't remember the contest well though. But yes, since the points change to the KotM I'll concede you cant be a complete dud in the mountains to win it. But you can be a Wellens or a Caruso - should we look out for them next year?
What I found more convincing today was Simon Yates saying he grew up cycling profesionally with Alaphillipe and is not remotely surprised he has been able to produce this performance (albeit he wasnt expecting it this year). From a member of another team with no axe to grind I find that quite a convincing opinion. It didn't come across as omerta, just the opinion of a rider that really rates Alaphillipe. He was really quite adamant about it.
If we can concede he is potentially doping I fail to see how we can be so adamant he wouldn't be doping to contest GC. I also don't understand your point about him improving mid-race. He has been performing at a level that his teammates are on record as finding hard to believe since day one. Just like Horner smoked the Vuelta from day one aged 42 - undetected.
Even today he was climbing what turned out to be the last climb at a comparable speed to Nibali and Uran (admittedly neither in absolute peak condition, but still, not something you'd expect from Alaphillipe in previous years).
And the last rider to target and win the KotM one year and be heading for yellow in Paris the following year? Michael Rasmussen. It isn't a natural crossover even when the parcour is climber friendly like this year.
In short, I'm still relieved he is fading and will be more comfortable with the podium if he isn't on it.
What I found more convincing today was Simon Yates saying he grew up cycling profesionally with Alaphillipe and is not remotely surprised he has been able to produce this performance (albeit he wasnt expecting it this year). From a member of another team with no axe to grind I find that quite a convincing opinion. It didn't come across as omerta, just the opinion of a rider that really rates Alaphillipe. He was really quite adamant about it.
Mamil said:The idea of Alaphilippe being a doper in the general sense simply by fact of him being an elite pro-cyclist who wins a lot I'm more than willing to go along with. But the thought that he's doped particularly for the Tour GC, or that he's somewhat found a way to enhance himself specifically for that purpose mid-race, I find absurd. Nothing undetectable works that fast, with the possible exception of a well-administered and timed blood bag. I'd give slight credence to that possibility, but nothing else.
It's obvious that both Ala and QS didn't come into this Tour expecting him to be fighting for the final maillot jaune. Yeah you'd expect that he's probably a little leaner than he normally is in the spring, to assist in dealing with all the climbing, but that's standard practice for a GT for a puncheur, especially one who probably also anticipated that he'd be doing a little domestique work for Mas. That's the extent of it.
I see an immensely talented rider who's found himself with a handy lead, and who has a reasonable climbing pedigree (you don't win the KOM for nothing), spending high mountain stages simply trying to defend his advantage. The climbing times aren't fast, no one team is consistently or for long periods setting a searing tempo, Ala has an experienced team looking after him, his motivation is super high, big attacks have been pretty rare and when they have happened, he mostly hasn't followed them. The TT was probably his most impressive and surprising performance to date, but even there the course was quite favourable to his natural strengths. In the mountains I've observed nothing ridiculous.
The point has been made that he's never done this before. So what? He's never tried. He's not a guy who was previously tooling around struggling and finishing 15th in GTs - he's a GC novice. It's also said with good reason that we didn't know he was capable of this - but I'm willing to bet that neither did he. He's landed in a favourable situation and he's trying to make the most of it, riding in as measured a fashion as he can to stay with his rivals and seeing how far he can run with it. In this regard it really comes down to do you believe that a rider, even an exceptionally gifted one, can race competitively for GC at a GT without specifically preparing and training for it? I'd certainly concede that it's unlikely, but if the conditions are right, the opposition comparatively weak and the race tactics fairly conservative, which they appear to be on both counts, and the rider is in absolute top form, then I think it just might be possible.
In sum, does Alaphilippe dope? Quite possibly. Has he doped specifically to win the Tour? Surely not.
If we can concede he is potentially doping I fail to see how we can be so adamant he wouldn't be doping to contest GC. I also don't understand your point about him improving mid-race. He has been performing at a level that his teammates are on record as finding hard to believe since day one. Just like Horner smoked the Vuelta from day one aged 42 - undetected.
Even today he was climbing what turned out to be the last climb at a comparable speed to Nibali and Uran (admittedly neither in absolute peak condition, but still, not something you'd expect from Alaphillipe in previous years).
And the last rider to target and win the KotM one year and be heading for yellow in Paris the following year? Michael Rasmussen. It isn't a natural crossover even when the parcour is climber friendly like this year.
In short, I'm still relieved he is fading and will be more comfortable with the podium if he isn't on it.