Paris (AFP)
Julian Alaphilippe, who wore the yellow jersey for two weeks last summer, declared himself "thrilled" by the route of the Tour de France 2020 presented Tuesday in Paris.
"This Tour promises to be unpredictable," said Alaphilippe, winner of two stages in 2019. "Difficult to establish a scenario: already, in normal times, there are some twists, so here ... with a similar course, it can only offer a beautiful show ".
"The course is surprising with unprecedented climbs and a very difficult start and I can not wait to be there," added the Frenchman from the Belgian team Deceuninck, but he did not want to confirm he was aiming for victory.
On his ambitions in relation to the general classification, he explained: "It will certainly be able to change but it is not the first idea when I'm going back to work for next season." When I said (in 2019) that I do not I did not come to do the general, it's the reality, I found myself in a leading position and everyone dreamed about the day, and I drove around thinking about it, but I knew that it would be very hard with the last three days in the Alps, I have always been realistic and next year it will certainly be a different Tour, a different scenario. "
+ Alaf + was applauded when he entered the Palais des Congrès after his epic of last July and expressed his emotion: "The recognition of the public has always touched me, I see that it has marked people, I Thanks again, seeing the pictures, I was thrilled, I might be expected next year, but I'm not pushing for it, I'll set the goals for myself (later). from France to win it, I do not have it in mind yet. "
Asked about the layout of the next edition, the puncher acknowledged: "On paper, there are steps that fit me very well, I'm not going to hide it, but I'll take the time to think about all that, to go for reconnaissance, it's still very far. "
The Tour de France 2020 will leave Nice on June 27 to arrive in Paris on July 19.
© 2019 AFP