Then one happy Belgian. Once again Patrick Lefevere will have the world champion in his ranks for the next twelve months. With a big thank you to… Belgians. “They rolled out the red carpet for Julian.”
How does he do that? Lefevere has been saying for years that he is in love with the rainbow jersey and again that love is reciprocated. Did he quickly realize that Alaphilippe was the best man in the race?
‘When he gave up some fries at about forty kilometers from the finish, I certainly realized that it could go both ways’, says Lefevere. ‘Typically Julian. Either it means he’s super good, or he’s bad and he’s just trying. It was very clear that it was the first.’
The manager of Deceuninck-Quick Step called Alaphilippe the ‘well deserved winner’. But, he thought, the Belgians hadn’t made it really difficult for him. The approach of Van Aert and co. made Lefevere frown. ‘I know: it’s easy to talk afterwards. And anyway it is not easy to race for your own people. But still: why did the Belgians want to break open the course so early? And above all: why did they throw Remco into the fray so early? For me, Remco was the best man in the race after Julian. But they just sacrificed him and rolled out the red carpet for Julian. It is no coincidence that we only saw Alaphilippe and Sénéchal in the final. The French were constantly present with many people and did not have to do anything.’
It even made Lefevere say in front of the VTM camera that Evenepoel drove for Alaphilippe. ‘By which I mainly meant that the way they let Evenepoel race completely played into Julian’s hands’, explains Lefevere. “The Belgians got the match they asked for. But you should see that you have a few bullets left at the end. They weren’t there. Wout is a world driver, but he had to get Alaphilippe twice himself. That’s not up to him, is it.’
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