And in the end, Julian Alaphilippe wins. The Frenchman signed a masterful performance this Sunday, retaining his title of world cycling champion on the roads linking Antwerp to Leuven, in front of a excited audience, a year following Imola’s masterpiece.
Unstoppable, like the whole French team which will have dynamited the race 180 kilometers from the finish, the rider from Saint-Amand-Montrond took advantage of the undermining work of his teammates throughout the day. Isolated at the front in a group of 17 with his accomplices Florian Sénéchal and Valentin Madouas, he took matters in hand 17 kilometers from the end, at the cost of several violent attacks who finished exhausting his opponents, the immense favorite Wout Van Aert in the lead. A heartbreaking for the Belgian, 11th, following his excellent second place last year. Belgium cannot even console themselves with a medal, with Jasper Stuyven failing at the foot of the podium, behind Dane Michael Valgren and Dutch Dylan Van Baarle.
“I was angry, I dropped everything”
“The last kilometers were horrible, Alaphilippe confided following the race at the microphone of France Televisions. I really did myself violence. I was thinking of my little one. I was angry, I gave it all up. “ Including a little scratch to the unforgettable local supporters, beaten at home: “The Belgians were for Wout By Aert, so on the last lap, they told me to go slower. They didn’t have very nice words. I thank them, it served me !»
At 29, Julian Alaphilippe, who regularly poured out the weight of the rainbow jersey on his shoulders, usually so light, set off once more for a year with these colors on the saddle. A first for a French rider, Alaph ‘thus joining the legends Peter Sagan, Paolo Bettini or Rik Van Looy among the riders to have succeeded in quick succession.
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