2024-01-09 17:42:00
Julian Alaphilippe, darling of the French public, will “a priori” not participate in the Tour de France in 2024, said the boss of his Soudal-Quick Step team Patrick Lefevere on Tuesday in Calpe, in the south-east of Spain. “A priori no, because seeing Julian as a 100% domestic Remco Evenepoel, I don’t like that image,” declared Lefevere on the sidelines of his team’s presentation regarding the former double world champion whose the contract expires at the end of the year.
Winner of six stages of the Tour de France and wearer of the yellow jersey for a total of 18 days, “Alaf”, 31, remains on two very mixed seasons which have regularly aroused criticism from Lefevere once morest one of the biggest salaries of his team. At the 2024 Tour de France (June 29-July 21), Soudal-Quick Step will bet everything on Remco Evenepoel who has gradually taken power within the Belgian team and who will start the Grande Boucle for the first time.
We reached an agreement. He said to me: “Patrick, give me one more winter”
Alaphilippe, who is currently in Australia where he will compete in the Tour Down Under for the first time in ten years next week, is expected to take part in the Tour of Italy (May 4-26). “I think the Giro suits his style of impulsive runner, not always intelligent but who people like,” said Lefevere.
Asked regarding the Frenchman’s reaction to his likely non-selection for the Tour, he said: “A disgruntled rider in a team is useless. He had the opportunity to leave because several teams sought to recruit him. I had discussions with him, but the year before, not last year. I said the things I wanted to say but I’m not someone who repeats himself. We reached an agreement. He ‘said, ‘Patrick, give me one more winter’. It’s up to him now to show it. I like riders who respond to the pedal and he’s going to do it. I think he’s still capable of achieve results.”
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