In the small climb towards the first intermediate sprint of this sixth stage of the Tour of Italy, Julian Alaphilippe received quite unexpected support this Thursday afternoon on the Italian roads of the Giro. The Frenchman, who was then in a group of seven escapees, was able to receive a bottle from his sporting director, Patrick Lefevere. White shirt on his back and sunglasses on his nose, the boss of the Soudal Quick-Step encouraged his runner with a pat in the stomach after having refueled him.
This image comes as recently, Patrick Lefevere has not been kind to the double world champion. In January, the Belgian spoke of the Frenchman as someone “not always intelligent”, before accusing him of having “too many parties” and drinking “too much alcohol” a month later.
Comments which had earned Lefevere to be reframed by the UCI but which had not prevented him from continuing the barbs towards Julian Alaphilippe. Recently, he spoke about the future of the former Tour de France Yellow Jersey in his training. “But with riders like Julian Alaphilippe, Yves Lampaert and Kasper Asgreen, a significant part of the salary budget still goes to the leaders for Flemish work. The lesson for me: no longer conclude contracts in euphoria, which perhaps happened too often with the riders mentioned,” he said after his men’s results at the E3 GP in Harelbeke.
Without a victory since the start of the season, Julian Alaphilippe is not convinced to continue the adventure with Soudal Quick-Step. Several French teams are interested in “Alaph”, who is playing big in this Giro. Seeing his rider at the front, did Patrick Lefevere want to send him yet another message?
