As the 2024 cycling season comes to a close, Julian Alaphilippe’s final race with Soudal-Quickstep will take place at Il Lombardia on 12th October. Having signed a three-year deal with Fabian Cancellara’s Tudor Pro Cycling Team, Alaphilippe sees this transition as a chance to “experience something new” at the right time in his career. His current boss, Patrick Lefevere, called it the “end of an era”, even though he has publicly criticised the Frenchman in recent times.
Alaphilippe is presently in Canada for the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec and the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal, hoping to secure a spot on France’s Road World Championships team for Zurich. Reflecting on what he will miss most from his time at the Belgian squad, Alaphilippe highlighted the significance of his relationships within the team.
“It’s difficult to say one thing because for sure the most important thing I will miss was being with the people I was always with – it’s not only 10 years of my career, it’s a third of my life. Of course, there were ups and downs but I always enjoyed it and loved the time I had in the team so this is what I will miss the most, like my staff and teammates. But in the end, it’s also good to have so many memories. For me and for them it’s also life, it’s one circle, so it’s a good timing for me to have a new environment and see something new.”
Reflecting on a Decade
Over the past decade, Alaphilippe has achieved numerous victories with Soudal-Quickstep, including triumphs at Milan-SanRemo, Strade Bianche, La Flèche Wallonne (three times), the Giro d’Italia, and the Tour de France. He became a Tour de France icon, securing six stage wins and almost clinching the race in 2019.
Alaphilippe’s decision to join Tudor was not made lightly. French team TotalEnergies had shown strong interest in bringing him on board. “It was not easy to call Jean-René Bernaudeau from TotalEnergies with Benoit Genauzeau because it’s not only from this year, it’s already a few years that I know that they really want me in the team, and it was also a really nice project,” Alaphilippe explained. “So I knew the disappointment from them when I made my decision and that was not easy for me. But in the end, you have to think about yourself which is a really hard job. It’s your decision so when I knew I wouldn’t stay, I had to call the other teams and I’m happy with my decision.”
Looking Forward
The move to Tudor is expected to earn the Swiss team one of the Tour de France wildcard spots, while TotalEnergies now risks missing the Tour for the first time since their inception in 2000. Jean-René Bernaudeau expressed his frustration, telling Le Parisien, “The only thing I regret is the length of the negotiations. Because it really took a long time. I understand, of course, a refusal but I would have liked to receive it earlier. It’s not the same thing to know it in June or at the beginning of August. The timing put us in difficulty, and we found ourselves with a lot of riders to whom we had said no because we were hoping for Julian.”
For now, Alaphilippe is concentrating on ending his stint with Quickstep on a high note. He already made a significant mark this year with a solo win at the Giro d’Italia in May, and he remains hopeful for more triumphs. “I’m really focused on every race that is coming until my last one in Lombardy. I enjoy it even more I think because I really realise that every race is one day closer to the end,” he said. “I still have races and for me, I don’t even start to think about next year for the moment. For sure it’s my goal to try to win again something. There is less and less opportunity now so I hope I will do it, it’s my goal until the end and I will do everything for that.”
After a tough couple of years with crashes and injuries, Alaphilippe is back in form, having also claimed stage victories at the Tour de Slovakia and Czech Tour this season. “My best shape I don’t know, but I come back in good shape, I enjoy racing, I’m able to fight for the victory in the final,” he said. “If I have the reason, I will let you know,” he said referring to his struggles. “I didn’t know the reason so when you do everything you can and you just fight against the bad moment, you know that one moment it will turn.”
