Julian Alaphilippe has been selected for the world cycling championships on Sunday in Australia.
The Frenchman, double defending champion, had a difficult season with major falls.
But he seems equipped to return to his best level.
A little advice for Saturday night revelers.
After splurging your body on the dancefloor to the beat
of Midnight Demons
, keep some vocals and fitness going until 8 a.m. Sunday.
It will be necessary to jump for joy and sing the Marseillaise loudly when a Frenchman puts on the jersey of world cycling champion, in Wollongong.
On the Australian South Coast, we can already imagine Benoît Cosnefroy or Valentin Madouas taking advantage of the last ten steep kilometers to pack their bags.
We could even have added the name of Julian Alaphilippe to this little list.
Because the French will find in front of him a relief that he likes a few kilometers from the line to put his calves of double world champion into action, with the sequence Mount Ousley (578 meters at 7.2% average) - Mount Pleasant (883 meters at 9.8%, with a passage at 14%) - Broakers Road (110 meters at 10%).
He hasn't lost anything in his legs.
Unfortunately for "Alaph", it risks shooting in the legs, he who has just returned from a dislocated shoulder on the Vuelta, where he was to perfect his physical condition in view, precisely, of the Worlds and the Tour de Lombardy.
“That was really the goal, confirms his sporting director at Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl, Rik Van Slycke.
But, after his fall, he remained off the bike for a week, then resumed on the rollers before gradually coming out.
This invitation to the Worlds must have done him good morally and mentally after this complicated season.
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We certainly have all our little problems, but, aligned end to end, they do not come close to what the Frenchman experienced in 2022: a sun on the Strade Bianche, bronchitis before Milan San Remo, fractured shoulder blade, two broken ribs and a pneumothorax during Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Covid-19 during the Tour de Wallonie, shoulder dislocation on the Vuelta.
And the head, lark.
"His 'luck' is that he was only injured in the upper body, but all that is legs, he did not lose anything, indicates Vincent Bengochea, his former sports director at the Army of earth.
Julian, he bounces back all the time, he still has great morale and I'm sure he'll get back to his level.
I even think he will come back even stronger.
»
“Champions are always special”
Vincent Bengochea knows what he is talking about.
When he picked up Alaphilippe in 2010, the one who came from cyclo-cross at the time was coming out of an almost white season, with races to be counted on the fingers of one hand, because of knee problems: "We left him the time to rest and he came back twice as strong.
His first victory was in an all category.
He, then, was only second category.
Afterwards, he continued to win, in the sprint, at the top of the hills, he passed at the head of the passes, like the Marie-Blanque, during the Tour of Piedmont Pyrenean.
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Enough to imagine such a scenario twelve years later?
“Julian, he has a big strong point, it is that he recovers very quickly, continues the former sports director of the Air Force.
After a breakaway of 100 terminals, his colleagues slept in the bus, while he sang.
“After his repeated falls this season, the Quick Step even had to slow him down so that he didn't resume training too soon, to give the injuries time to heal properly.
“He is still among the best in the world”
Between his multiple visits to the emergency room, Alaphilippe has nevertheless scored two or three interesting results this season: a fourth place on the Walloon Flèche, two victories on the Tour of the Basque Country, another at the top of the Huy wall during the Tour de Wallonie.
Far, therefore, from being finite.
“We must not forget that he is a champion, and that champions are always special, assures Rik Van Slycke.
He has something extra.
He's a winner.
You just have to make it arrive in good condition, at the right time.
»
Out of the question to see Julian Alaphilippe coming to compete with Wout Van Aert 13 months out of 12, on San Remo, Flanders, Roubaix, the Tour de France, the Vuelta and the Tour de Quangxi at the same time.
No, the companion of Marion Rousse will focus on certain objectives, to better lower the competition.
Specific goals
“It has already been working like this for a year and a half, two years, with well-targeted objectives, testifies the former runner Christophe Riblon, now a consultant on La Chaine L'Equipe.
Three years ago, he arrived at all the races to win them.
At specific times and events, he is always among the best in the world.
But he will never have a season like Van Aert did this season.
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The Belgian, moreover, after having won almost everything this season, will have a huge sign behind his back on Sunday morning in Wollongong.
If he does not fight with his teammate Remco Evenepoel, it is difficult to beat him on paper.
Unless… “You always have to be wary of Julian, concludes Vincent Bengochea.
We think he's at the bottom of the bucket, and he comes out like this.
It may be less protected than in other years.
But, if there is a small opening, the other competitors who look at each other thinking that Julian is less strong, he can take advantage of it.
“Come on, go get us this third world champion title, Julian.
We'll be there, from early morning, with our betaine citrate to hold on and our voices a little hoarse, but we'll be there.
Word of (former) clubber.
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Sport
Cycling
Julian Alaphilippe
Australia