With his unbridled lust for attack, Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal-Quick Step) is one of the big trendsetters in this Giro. “These were difficult months, but last week’s stage victory freed Julian completely,” notes his partner Marion Rousse.
Stage win in Fano, 2nd in the gravel stage and almost every mountain stage in the offensive.
Julian Alaphilippe has risen from the ashes like a phoenix in this Giro. Much to the delight of his partner and ex-rider Marion Rousse.
“It is very gratifying to see Julian competing at such a level again.”
“After a few difficult months, he has completely regained the fun of cycling,” says the Frenchwoman.
Confession to Bramati during Sanremo
By those difficult months, Rousse is referring to the classic spring.
First there were the unfortunate statements made by team boss Patrick Lefevere in a Humo interview.
Alaphilippe then suffered a fracture in his fibula in the Strade Bianche, which kept him racing for weeks.
“When Julian was already on the team bus before the end of the Strade, we called each other. He then said that he had had enough.”
“Julian hadn’t felt this good for a long time, but he couldn’t show it on the bike.”
Alaphilippe fought through the pain during the Tirreno and finished 9th in Milan-Sanremo. Despite a flat tire in the final phase.
“During Milan-San Remo, Julian drove next to his team car. He then told sports director Bramati that he had super legs, but that they also hurt.”
Julian said during Milan-San Remo that he had great legs, but they also hurt.
Marion Rousse, partner of Julian Alaphilippe
After La Primavera, pictures were finally taken of Alaphilippe’s sore leg. And it turned out that he had a fracture in his fibula.
“The doctor had written in a message that this meant he would have to rest for 6 weeks.”
“The first thing I said to Julian was that riding the Tour with such an injury would be very difficult, especially because of the jostling on the cobblestones.”
But in the end, Alaphilippe appeared at the start of the E3 Saxo Classic, Dwars door Vlaanderen and the Ronde. Something he regretted afterwards.
Stress chicken in the seat
5 weeks after the Tour, Alaphilippe is riding around the Giro again like a happy bunny. With a stage win in the 12th stage as the ultimate reward.
“I was glad that I didn’t have to comment then,” laughs Rousse, who was sitting in front of the television with his son Nino.
“When Julian attacked with 130 kilometers to go, I thought: “Where are you going, Julian?”
“I sat in the seat like a stressed chicken all day long. But in the end Julian won the stage with a lot of class and panache.”
After the stage victory, Alaphilippe called his girlfriend as soon as possible. “He was very emotional.”
“If you won 10 times in a year, it would cause less emotion. But for Julian it was a liberating victory after a difficult period.”
Julian will attack until the end of the Giro.
Marion Rousse
Alaphilippe came close to a second bottle of prosecco several times.
“If Movistar had not raced with the favorites on Tuesday, Julian might have won that stage too.”
“There will be another great opportunity on Friday. Julian will attack until the end of this Giro.”
Rousse himself will be in Paris in the coming days. She goes to Rome on Sunday.
“To see Julian shine as a winner of the super fighting spirit? That would be very nice, he has been on the attack almost every stage.”
Servants for Evenepoel in the Tour?
And what after the Giro? With these super legs, Alaphilippe can’t ignore the Tour, can he?
“Julian is in the preselection for the Tour,” says Rousse. “But 3 weeks of Giro brings a lot of fatigue.”
“The Soudal-Quick Step team will be built around Remco Evenepoel, who is aiming for the podium.”
“Julian is only too happy to put himself out of his way for Remco and for the team. But then he should not come out of the Giro too tired. It is the team that decides.”
Tour of Italy
2024-05-23 05:19:30
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