Imola (Italy) (AFP)

Julian Alaphilippe donned the rainbow jersey on Sunday on the Italian circuit of Imola, 23 years after Laurent Brochard, the last French crowned world champion before him.

To accomplish the feat of his career, Alaphilippe attacked as a puncher, as he likes to do, at the top of the last ascent of the difficult course laid out in the hills of Romagna.

As in Epernay, last year, when he went to conquer the yellow jersey of the Tour de France, the start of a series of 14 days.

On the line drawn in the Enzo and Dino Ferrari autodrome, the Frenchman presented himself as the big winner, 24 seconds before the sprint set in force by the Belgian Wout van Aert, already second in the Worlds time trial on Friday, ahead of Swiss Marc Hirschi.

Unlike last year, when he had a series of great successes (Strade Bianche, Milan-Sanremo, Flèche wallonne), Alaphilippe (28) has won very little this season.

But, each time, he changed his outfit.

In Nice, on August 30, he donned the yellow jersey of the Tour for three days.

In Imola, he conquered the iridescent jersey ... for a full year.

- The impressive van Aert -

"It is a new chance", warned + Alaf +, around whom the national coach Thomas Voeckler had built the France team. After three editions which had slipped under his pedals, especially in 2017 when he had been joined near the finish on the Norwegian track in Bergen.

This time, the Frenchman who usually wears the colors of the Deceuninck team has not been picked up.

In the pursuit group, the presence of van Aert, impressive in strength, gave food for thought to the other members of the group (Hirschi, Kwiatkowski, Fuglsang, Roglic) launched in pursuit of the leading man, about to touch his dream.

"It was the dream of my career," said, very moved, the new world champion in his first reaction.

"I've been so close so many times but I had never even been on the podium. I came here with a lot of ambitions. It's a dream day for me."

Hyper-sensitive, the five-time stage winner on the Tour de France thanked his entourage: "coach Thomas Voeckler for believing in me, my family, my relatives, my cousin Franck (also his trainer), Marion ( Rousse, his partner). "

Before bursting into tears: "It's the dream of my career."

- Pogacar shows itself -

The race, under an overcast sky, began to settle 70 kilometers from the finish when the forcing of the France team (Pacher, Peters, Elissonde), coming after the wear and tear of Switzerland and Denmark , ended the initial escape (Koch and Traeen for the last survivors).

Belgium took over before the winner of the Tour de France, the Slovenian Tadej Pogacar, attacked from the foot of the penultimate climb of the most selective hill, Gallisterna, 42 kilometers from the line.

But the young Slovenian, 22, was muzzled from a distance by van Aert's teammates (Benoot, Wellens), until the junction before the last 20 kilometers.

Patient, Alaphilippe waited for the approach of the top of the final ascent of Gallisterna (2.7 km at 6.4%) to carry his attack.

He then charged on the narrow road, in descending false flats, to the autodrome.

At the entrance to the racing circuit, 3400 meters from the finish, the essentials were done with 14 seconds in advance.

The rainbow jersey was waiting for him after more than six and a half hours of effort.

© 2020 AFP