France's Julian Alaphilippe poses with his medal on the podium after winning the Men's Elite Road Race, a 258.2-kilometer route around Imola, Emilia-Romagna, Italy, on September 27, 2020 as part of the UCI 2020 Road World Championships.

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MARCO BERTORELLO / AFP

  • The Tour de La Provence starts this Thursday from Aubagne for four days of racing, until the scheduled arrival on Sunday in Salon-de-Provence.

  • Julian Alaphilippe, the French world champion, will be at the start of the race, as will Egan Bernal, winner of the 2019 Tour de France.

A rainbow and a winner of the Tour de France in Provence: the French Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-Quickstep) puts on his world champion's jersey for the first time of the year from Thursday to Sunday on the 6th Tour de La Provence, which also welcomes a last minute and prestigious guest, the Colombian Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers).

Sacred last September 27 on the Imola circuit, Alaphilippe had barely benefited from his new rainbow tunic.

After Liège-Bastogne-Liège (5th) and the Flèche Brabançonne (1st), he was forced to retire on the Tour of Flanders on October 18, caught in a crash with a biker.

Verdict: fracture of the right wrist.

Almost four months later, he returned to France, for the first time in his professional career.

A first

“I've never started a season in France, it's going to be a first, it's great!

I really want to make this rainbow jersey shine and make myself happy, ”he explained in a press release from the organization a few weeks ago.

“Alaf” will be able to make use of his puncher qualities at the start of Six-Fours-les-Plages on Thursday and Manosque on Friday, but the queen stage will take place on the slopes of Mont Ventoux on Saturday, with a final at the chalet Reynard (14.6 km at 7.6%), where Nairo Quintana had forged his success last year.

The Colombian does not defend his title and leaves the place of leader of Arkea-Samsic to the French Warren Barguil.

But it is one of his compatriots, Egan Bernal, who serves as the favorite.

Surprised guest, the winner of the Tour de France 2019 comes out of a contrasting Etoile de Bessèges: member of the victorious breakaway on Friday at Bessèges, he had freewheeled the following stages (64th at 6'04 overall).

On Sunday, the sprinters who left the Etoile (Coquard, Bouhanni) or recovering (Démare) frustrated will have a golden opportunity to open their victory counter this season, in Salon-de-Provence.

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