Julian Alaphilippe himself could not believe in the Antwerp finish that he had become world champion again.
Photo: imago images / AFLOSPORT
Many world champions have already reported about the curse of the rainbow. Philippe Gilbert, who was successful in 2012, had to wait until September the following year before he was able to win a professional race wearing the rainbow jersey. It should also be the last time. Three weeks later, the Belgian passed the bib to the subsequent world champion Rui Costa from Portugal. In the following season, Gilbert won again as usual: at the Amstel Gold Race, for example, or the Brabant Arrow.
Gilbert is not the only one who was less successful in the rainbow jersey than before. Whether his successor Rui Costa, the Italian Alessandro Ballan (World Champion 2008) or the poor Dane Mads Pedersen, who after his victory in 2019 because of the pandemic-related cancellations anyway had few racing opportunities – they were all in the season that followed the big coup, less successful than before or after.
Peter Sagan, three-time world champion, also complained several times during his rainbow days that this bodice put shackles on him: “Everyone sees you when you compete, everyone follows you,” is how the Slovak described it. The boy, who is always inclined to joke, would have been trusted to use an invisibility cap during a race. He didn’t do it. After all, it is also punishable by the world association UCI for not wearing the world championship jersey in a race.
Julian Alaphilippe was also one of the sufferers under the rainbow last season. To describe the Frenchman’s season as a failure would be unfair: he shot the Walloon Arrow, won a stage of the Tirreno Adriatico and was also successful at the start of the tour – with a start that only Alaphilippe can drive. Compared to previous years, however, its yield remained meager.
“The jersey sapped strength,” he admitted. “If you are strong and attack, everyone will want to compete with you. The rainbow jersey always stands out. And if you have a bad day in this jersey, the others will literally destroy you, “said the 29-year-old.
That’s why Alaphilippe went to the World Cup in Flanders with the relieving feeling that she could now give up the jersey again. To his own amazement, he was given a brand new copy on Sunday. Because again he had won the world championship race. Very convincing, in fact, with a solo ride over 20 kilometers after a real firework of attacks. It was obviously not agreed. At the finish he called out to his national coach Thomas Voeckler: “We didn’t stick to the plan, but it still worked.”
That plan was actually that Alaphilippe’s attacks should wear down the favorites field so that, firstly, it melts down to only a few drivers, and secondly, that among these few, the fast-paced teammate Florian Senechal should triumph. “I called to Florian to take it easy,” reported Alaphilippe. But then France’s national hero carried out the attrition task so well that he could strive for the goal without being disturbed.
Apparently he had wings that he had no intention of driving to win. That is exactly why he attacked so often, precisely why his last step was so powerful that no one could follow him anymore. Because Alaphilippe didn’t even think about what happened next. He did not dose his strength, but attacked as if there were no more 20 kilometers to drive. And as if there is no tomorrow.
But now he has it, the new morning, which should seem like yesterday to him. He was asked how he would be doing in his second year in the rainbow jersey. “To be honest, I don’t know,” he said, still looking a little puzzled. Of course, many other cyclists would like to grapple with the problems that the Frenchman now has. The only thing left for them to do is to make it very difficult for the new and old world champions to win again.
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