Julian Alaphilippe in tears after his title of world champion, September 27, 2020 in Imola.

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Luca Bettini / AP / SIPA

  • Julian Alaphilippe won the cycling world championships on Sunday in Imola.

  • The French rider, who had always faltered at the worst time in recent years, finally managed to go to the end after a sharp attack 12 kilometers from the finish.

  • Yellow jersey on the Tour de France and winner of many classics, he realized “the dream of [his] career”, at the age of 28. 

King of the world !

Finally.

At 28, Julian Alaphilippe realized his lifelong dream, Sunday, in Imola, by winning the title of world champion.

Until now, there was always something that had kept him from landing that rainbow jersey.

Three years ago, in Bergen, he had experienced a black hole when he was alone in the lead two kilometers from the line.

The following year in Innsbruck, his legs had let go at the worst time, in a final climb yet cut out for him, when his partners had put him in the ideal position.

Not this time.

Attacking the steepest portions of the Gallisterna coast, 12 kilometers from the finish, Alaphilippe made a hole of ten seconds, which he managed to keep to the line despite the efforts of a group of high-end prosecutors, consisting of Roglic, van Aert, Fuglsang, Kwiatkowski and Hirshi.

Just that.

Julian Alaphilippe takes down his opponents in the last meters of the Cima Gallisterna!

The Frenchman isolates himself at the front less than 13km from the finish # Imola2020



▶ Follow the race live: https://t.co/DVSufT5jpD pic.twitter.com/tLp5YxcNlO

- France tv sport (@francetvsport) September 27, 2020

“I've been so close so many times… With each failure, I told myself it was fate,” he said once the line was crossed.

Here, I knew I had a chance, I worked for it all these last days, these last weeks, these last months.

I don't realize yet.

It always does that, when you've been chasing a goal for so many years.

And even if in the meantime we have won five stages of the Tour de France, Milan-San Remo or twice the Flèche wallonne.

We saw him in tears, then joined by his teammates and members of the staff of the France team.

All these little people were absolutely perfect throughout the day, to bring to the homeland a title better known since Laurent Brochard, twenty-three years ago.

Guillaume Martin's hard work

Warm in the peloton in the first two thirds of the race, the Blues, with Pacher, Peters and Elissonde, set in motion 70 kilometers from the finish to resume the breakaways and make a first selection.

They then let the Belgians work, and in the last lap, Guillaume Martin maneuvered well by going to look for the too dangerous fugitives and by attacking, even, twice, to force the other big nations to make the efforts.

The ground was ready for the entry on the scene of the boss, whom one had not seen until then.

“We fully respected what we said at the briefing,” said Martin.

I was vigilant with Rudy Molard so that Julian was in the best shape for the final climb.

We knew that in top form on a steep and punchy climb like this, it's the best in the world.

We saw a tight-knit team all day.

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This swimsuit suits him so well ...

Alaphilippe did not fail to thank everyone.

“My teammates believed in me.

We did a great job, he observed before stepping on the podium for a poignant Marseillaise.

It was my career dream, you know.

We know, Julian, we know.

Just crowned, Julian Alaphilippe dons the rainbow jersey on the Imola podium.

Touching, the Frenchman let himself be overwhelmed by emotion during the Marseillaise # Imola2020 pic.twitter.com/CnorUfbl5r

- France tv sport (@francetvsport) September 27, 2020

When you see him climb to the top step of the podium with this rainbow jersey, we tell ourselves that it really fits him like a glove.

Everyone was convinced of it, in fact.

You just didn't have to despair.

With a shining eye, the Frenchman concluded: “I have this jersey for a year… it's something that will mark my career and my life.

"

Sport

Cycling World Championships: "It's the dream of my career"… Julian Alaphilippe in tears after his victory at Imola

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