Leuven (Belgium) (AFP)

We will not be satisfied with a waiting race, promised the defending champion, Julian Alaphilippe, before the 2021 World Cup scheduled for Sunday between Antwerp and Louvain (Belgium).

"We have the motivation to try to relive what we experienced last year in Imola (Italy) but there is nothing to compare, it's another race," said Alaphilippe, Friday, at two. days of the appointment.

"We expect a difficult race. There is not a bump of several kilometers with terrible percentages but I think it is very, very hard," said the Frenchman.

"The course is very difficult, it's a race that will require a lot of energy for the placement, to stay focused throughout the day, that could make the difference in the final".

"Everyone knows that van Aert is in great shape but there are plenty of other riders capable of winning. We are not focused on Wout van Aert or on Belgium", assured the most popular rider of the French platoon.

"Other nations will have the same idea as us, to run differently. We are not going to be content with just doing a waiting race," added Alaphilippe. "I'm not going to deny that this is one of the major objectives of my end of the season, but we have a team motivated to get the best possible result. It's not all about me, that's for sure."

"A lot has changed compared to last year," continued the 2020 world champion who looked back on the past year: "I necessarily had a little less freedom, I had a form of pressure that I was getting on to make the jersey shine, to try to honor it as best I could. It was not always easy but I have no regrets. I am proud and happy to have worn the jersey and to to have made it shine that way. "

Alaphilippe felt that he had gained momentum in recent weeks: "Last year I focused on using the Tour as a preparation. There, it's a different approach. The championship is much further from the Tour de France , I did a completely different preparation but I had a lot of fun these last weeks in training and in the last races. "

"I really feel better and better, I know I'll be there, I worked hard to be there," assured the Frenchman, who is logically among the favorites of the race.

Julian Alaphilippe during a stage of the Tour de France towards Saint-Emilion, July 17, 2021 Anne-Christine POUJOULAT AFP / Archives

For his part, coach Thomas Voeckler noted: "Julian is not coming to defend his title, he is putting his title on the line and, for me, the nuance is sizeable."

"It's a very difficult race to read, we are not at all in the configuration of last year," added the former yellow jersey of the Tour.

"It's much more random. The world champion will be a tough guy but we can have surprises."

© 2021 AFP