Julian Alaphilippe

[BlueRoads]

So, whom do you all actually wish to win?

I was happy Alaphilippe won
(Although I can understand Rackham to some degree, such chauvinist behaviour and over-hyping always puts me off immensely, so if I was living in France I might still be totally opposed to him. Here the commentators are sometimes a bit supportive of him, but some obviously don't like him much and most prefer van der Poel at least and have more respect for other riders.)

Koronin, you know I like you and since I'm often very emotional myself you have my sympathies, but your arguments are all over the place. One moment you're saying he's the biggest doper around, the other moment you're saying he only won because of his team and the crashes, making his achievement totally unremarkable. So your basic claim is that he doesn't have any special talent at all, that he is only able to deliver rather average performances because he is the biggest doper?

I suppose he's doping, would make sense in this sport with these achievements and this team. I don't know if anyone has any numbers for yesterday.
In general that stage was really good for him, don't you think...
Should he win this Tour, though, I'm willing to talk about him being one of the biggest dopers.

 

[DoYouEvenRideBruh]

Nope. I don't really care for the French scenery. I can find similar in many parts of NC just without the really old structures. When Valverde got hurt in 2017, I said I was done with the Tour that year the ONLY small thing I watched after that was what got Sagan kicked out of that race, which was stupid. I also stopped watching the 2011 and 2012 Tours long before they were over due to no interest. I haven't watched a flat stage since 2014.

What's NC?

 

[Netserk]

What's NC?

North Carolina.

 

[Red Rick]

Big time dopers who keep attacking >>> big time dopers who endlessly follow wheels.
At least make it worth.

Least he could do is sprint in a straight line though.

 

[Rackham]

Least he could do is sprint in a straight line though.

Did you see that moment he had with Pogacar today as they were heading towards the first ascent of the mur? i.e. Pogacar was trying to follow his teammate through to the front of the peloton whilst Alaphilippe was swerving all over the place in front & blocking him, i.e. almost looking like he might push him into the ditch at one point (there was even some arm waving after a few km).

Alaphilippe's twitchiness is legendary at this point.

 

[Barnacle Bill]

At least he looked a bit more human today, in 2019 it seemed he could just repeat at will without paying a price for the previous day's heroics.

 

[Koronin]

Did you see that moment he had with Pogacar today as they were heading towards the first ascent of the mur? i.e. Pogacar was trying to follow his teammate through to the front of the peloton whilst Alaphilippe was swerving all over the place in front & blocking him, i.e. almost looking like he might push him into the ditch at one point (there was even some arm waving after a few km).

Alaphilippe's twitchiness is legendary at this point.

The UCI really needs to start cracking down on that.

 

[Bolder]

His doping or you're saying he was literally gifted the win because no one else cared. Either way his win is a full blown disgrace. His attitude is very much extremely arrogant. Then the French love arrogance and it's a great reason to never visit that country. So I guess I will make sure I never bother to go to Paris_Roubaix.

He's actually a pretty good sport and not at all a sore loser. He's a little, shall we say...erratic at the end of a hard race, but I don't see him as more deserving of being caught doping than anyone else. I know you have a visceral hatred of him but he's really not the villain you'd like him to be.

And as a French citizen I take a bit of exception to your trotting out the same old, hackneyed clichés about France. We like him because he wins, and races with panache.

 

[Red Rick]

Did you see that moment he had with Pogacar today as they were heading towards the first ascent of the mur? i.e. Pogacar was trying to follow his teammate through to the front of the peloton whilst Alaphilippe was swerving all over the place in front & blocking him, i.e. almost looking like he might push him into the ditch at one point (there was even some arm waving after a few km).

Alaphilippe's twitchiness is legendary at this point.

I didn't. But I'm not surprised.

Somehow for some riders that is seen as an endearing trait.

 

[Koronin]

He's actually a pretty good sport and not at all a sore loser. He's a little, shall we say...erratic at the end of a hard race, but I don't see him as more deserving of being caught doping than anyone else. I know you have a visceral hatred of him but he's really not the villain you'd like him to be.

And as a French citizen I take a bit of exception to your trotting out the same old, hackneyed clichés about France. We like him because he wins, and races with panache.

He's a lot erratic and it doesn't have to be at the end of a stage. He's that way in the middle of stages and they don't have to be hard. Sorry you don't like it, but I find him to be extremely arrogant and his LOSE at LBL is just a great example of his pure arrogance. Slamming the handle bars when he loses because someone else is better on that day is being a sore loser. I don't see any panache at all in his riding.

 

[BlueRoads]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uE7qjQlfoRs

 

[Oldermanish]

His doping or you're saying he was literally gifted the win because no one else cared. Either way his win is a full blown disgrace. His attitude is very much extremely arrogant. Then the French love arrogance and it's a great reason to never visit that country. So I guess I will make sure I never bother to go to Paris_Roubaix.

I've loved most of the French folks I've met but most of that time was spent in the Alpine areas where a more "country" attitude prevails. I'm sure certain people like a perceived attitude; just like Massheads and Jersey Roidboys. NC has it's share of regional preferences from what a close friend shares. His Uncles and cousins can't understand him as much once he moved to the West Coast.

 

[Oldermanish]

He's a lot erratic and it doesn't have to be at the end of a stage. He's that way in the middle of stages and they don't have to be hard. Sorry you don't like it, but I find him to be extremely arrogant and his LOSE at LBL is just a great example of his pure arrogance. Slamming the handle bars when he loses because someone else is better on that day is being a sore loser. I don't see any panache at all in his riding.

His riding resembles a very strong Cat 3. That's why he's lost some races and crashed himself, no doubt. As I mentioned: his teammate had to gesture him on to his wheel for Stage 1's attack.
Today's Stage 2 was what happens when everyone goes at it and Roglic/Pogi have their own thing going on. That they can race that way and end that close to first should alarm most other GC teams. If they choose to combine efforts on a hard stage they will do some damage. That said....there are 2 1/2 weeks of more to come.

 

[Koronin]

His riding resembles a very strong Cat 3. That's why he's lost some races and crashed himself, no doubt. As I mentioned: his teammate had to gesture him on to his wheel for Stage 1's attack.
Today's Stage 2 was what happens when everyone goes at it and Roglic/Pogi have their own thing going on. That they can race that way and end that close to first should alarm most other GC teams. If they choose to combine efforts on a hard stage they will do some damage. That said....there are 2 1/2 weeks of more to come.

They proved last year they can keep this up for 2 weeks and not pay much attention to anyone else. The only question for them is can they then do anything at the Olympics.

You have a point about him resembling a Cat 3 rider.

I was happy Alaphilippe won
(Although I can understand Rackham to some degree, such chauvinist behaviour and over-hyping always puts me off immensely, so if I was living in France I might still be totally opposed to him. Here the commentators are sometimes a bit supportive of him, but some obviously don't like him much and most prefer van der Poel at least and have more respect for other riders.)

Koronin, you know I like you and since I'm often very emotional myself you have my sympathies, but your arguments are all over the place. One moment you're saying he's the biggest doper around, the other moment you're saying he only won because of his team and the crashes, making his achievement totally unremarkable. So your basic claim is that he doesn't have any special talent at all, that he is only able to deliver rather average performances because he is the biggest doper?

I suppose he's doping, would make sense in this sport with these achievements and this team. I don't know if anyone has any numbers for yesterday.
In general that stage was really good for him, don't you think...
Should he win this Tour, though, I'm willing to talk about him being one of the biggest dopers.

I'm sure he's doping, although most riders who had any chance to win that stage either crashed or were held up by crashes and may be injured. Either way his win was unremarkable. Also Van der Poel showed what he can do when not having to chase back after crashes.
What he did in 2019 was more than enough proof of his major doping. He is not close to talented enough to do what he did in that Tour.

 

[Ripper]

His riding resembles a very strong Cat 3. That's why he's lost some races and crashed himself, no doubt. As I mentioned: his teammate had to gesture him on to his wheel for Stage 1's attack.
Today's Stage 2 was what happens when everyone goes at it and Roglic/Pogi have their own thing going on. That they can race that way and end that close to first should alarm most other GC teams. If they choose to combine efforts on a hard stage they will do some damage. That said....there are 2 1/2 weeks of more to come.

Ala and Sagan are both as sketchy as all hell when it comes to pack riding. Ala is all twitchy and unpredictable, and I think cycling tips secret pro recently noted how unobservant Sagan is. Lots of thermonuclear reactions going off on the first couple of days, Ala yesterday, vdP today (love his racing style as well, and seems like a super nice guy, but I have just as much difficulty believing his performances), and of course the PR/TP Slovenian sideshow! Another tour of the unbelievable

 

[DoYouEvenRideBruh]

It's just the Tour guys. Everybody has come with the heavy artillery as per usual.

 

[DoYouEvenRideBruh]

His doping or you're saying he was literally gifted the win because no one else cared. Either way his win is a full blown disgrace. His attitude is very much extremely arrogant. Then the French love arrogance and it's a great reason to never visit that country. So I guess I will make sure I never bother to go to Paris_Roubaix.

C'mon mate, isn't that a bit too much. Precluding yourself from ever visiting a country because of a stereotype is pretty extreme, especially if that is born out of your dislike for a French rider And while I'm sure NC is a nice place there's a couple of those 'old buildings' around France that are definitely worth checking out.

 

[Koronin]

C'mon mate, isn't that a bit too much. Precluding yourself from ever visiting a country because of a stereotype is pretty extreme, especially if that is born out of your dislike for a French rider And while I'm sure NC is a nice place there's a couple of those 'old buildings' around France that are definitely worth checking out.

There are actually other countries higher on my list of wanting to visit than France to start with. At the top of that list is Italy.

 

[Cookster15]

There are actually other countries higher on my list of wanting to visit than France to start with. At the top of that list is Italy.

I'd visit France or Italy in an instant ..... when Covid-19 is history. As for JA, I am sensing he might have his 2019 powers back. After Stage 5 we know 100%.

 

[Koronin]

I'd visit France or Italy in an instant ..... when Covid-19 is history. As for JA, I am sensing he might have his 2019 powers back. After Stage 5 we know 100%.

My only fear of visiting Italy is gaining weight because I love Italian food.

Which may be the real reason for pulling out of the Olympics.

 

[simoni]

His doping or you're saying he was literally gifted the win because no one else cared. Either way his win is a full blown disgrace. His attitude is very much extremely arrogant. Then the French love arrogance and it's a great reason to never visit that country. So I guess I will make sure I never bother to go to Paris_Roubaix.

Your loss I think.

France is a wonderful country. Like anywhere else it has its share of less desirable people. Maybe Alaphillippe is one to your impression but there are very very many who are not.

 

[Bolder]

He's a lot erratic and it doesn't have to be at the end of a stage. He's that way in the middle of stages and they don't have to be hard. Sorry you don't like it, but I find him to be extremely arrogant and his LOSE at LBL is just a great example of his pure arrogance. Slamming the handle bars when he loses because someone else is better on that day is being a sore loser. I don't see any panache at all in his riding.

You don't see any flair in the way he rides? Now you're just being willfully obtuse.

 

[hulkgogan]

There are actually other countries higher on my list of wanting to visit than France to start with. At the top of that list is Italy.

As a North American guy who has lived in both the French and German parts of Switzerland for 20 years married to a Swiss French lady and worked 8 years with a lot of French people, let me just say I really like Italians.

Here's a typically French thing. My wife calls a hotel in Paris to book a room for her boss "Sorry, I don't understand you." Like my wife is some country bumpkin who doesn't speak proper French as opposed to a paying customer. Or going to a very posh hotel on a deal during the financial crisis in Nice, and the maitre d ' rolling his eyes because I told him I didn't want the fish., instead of being grateful I dropped €1000 at his place during a recession. These are quintessentially French experiences. Every time I've been in Italy, it's been the complete opposite. Italians are crazy, but totally nice.

 

[BlueRoads]

So from "Alaphilippe is not credible" this thread went to "I don't like Alaphilippe" to "I don't like France".

Everyone knows how Koronin gets when things are not going well for Movistar and that she can't stand Alaphilippe. But I would not have thought this would lead to a serious discussion about Alaphilippe's character and the French in general.

If you're interested I have some stories about a German vendor's reaction when I wanted to buy an expensive leather jacket, a vendor in Madrid who insisted "no entiendo" when I tried to buy something to drink in Spanish or a British lady in Italy who told me with some pity I really spoke English "a little bit".
I don't know how any of that is a sign for Alaphilippe doping or not, though.

Many of the latest comments about him and France here are between ridiculous and mean and don't add anything useful to a clinic discussion.

 

[nayr497]

Ala and Sagan are both as sketchy as all hell when it comes to pack riding. Ala is all twitchy and unpredictable, and I think cycling tips secret pro recently noted how unobservant Sagan is. Lots of thermonuclear reactions going off on the first couple of days, Ala yesterday, vdP today (love his racing style as well, and seems like a super nice guy, but I have just as much difficulty believing his performances), and of course the PR/TP Slovenian sideshow! Another tour of the unbelievable

I really don't think you can put Alaphilippe and Sagan in the same category at all in terms of bike handling. One has ridden into motorcycles and had numerous finishes where other riders thought he shut the door on them. Also, celebrating too early.

Sagan is "unobservant"? I'd have to cite his bunny hope in P-R to stay upright and staying upright in that MSR finish as well.

Sagan hit the moto years ago, but that was definitely more moto interference than JAs recent steering into the moto.