Every day, the morning of Europe 1 looks back on one of the sporting events that make the news. This Monday, Virginie Phulpin looks back on this return which promised to be gloomy and which, ultimately, is softer than expected thanks to sport. The victory of the Lyonnaises in the final of the Champions League and the yellow jersey worn by Julian Alaphilippe allow you to smile again and there is only sport to have this effect.
The Lyon footballers European champions and Julian Alaphilippe yellow jersey of the Tour de France. For Virginie Phulpin, it is only sport and this kind of victories that soften our comeback!
It's definitely anything 2020. Nobody had warned Virginie Phulpin that we had moved from July 14 to August 30. The last Sunday in August, let's face it, normally, it's not necessarily the time of year when you have the lightest heart. The awakening, the stress, the resumption of the routine, each for himself sets out again in the whirlwind of life. We tend to wince nervously than to smile blissfully.
But there, this Sunday, two lightnings plunged us back into the dreams of a summer night.
The first at the end of the afternoon in Nice. When Julian Alaphilippe won the second stage of the Tour de France and grabbed the yellow jersey. He had the label of favorite of this stage, everyone was watching him, so much so that Virginie Phulpin said to herself that it would be impossible for him to be there. But the runner has that little extra thing that makes you withstand all pressures. And this victory, he wanted it more than his companions of escape. We understood after the finish line, when, his face bathed in tears, he raised his finger to the sky. This stage, this yellow jersey, they are for his father, who died in June. Julian Alaphilippe split open his champion armor to reveal the man behind. And those who saw it live were undoubtedly numerous also to have the shining eyes. In addition, by putting on this yellow jersey that he wore 14 days last year, Julian Alaphilippe sends us back to the summer of 2019. Those happy and carefree days when we had never heard of the Covid… Back to school? What return?
The Lyon footballers drove home the point this Sunday evening.
When the euphoria of Julian Alaphilippe's victory subsided, we had to prepare dinner, program six alarms for the alarm clock, and we were off again for our Sunday night spleen. But the Lyonnaises saved our evening. Virginie Phulpin does not even know if we realize what they are doing.
Seven Champions Leagues, five in a row with this 3-1 victory over Wolfsburg in the final. We cannot hear that it is because there is no competition. Nobody says that about Alfredo Di Stefano's Real Madrid. This Real of the 50s left its mark on men's football. And that's exactly what the Lyonnaises do for women's football. You will be able to tell your little girls that you have seen Wendie Renard and his teammates play.
Virginie Phulpin went to bed much more peaceful this Sunday evening. When we can grow cocoricos like that in the morning when we wake up, even at the start of the school year, that does not solve all our current problems, of course. But it shows us that we can still dream. And that is thanks to our athletes.