Julian Alaphilippe approaches the World Championships on Sunday in Zurich with great enthusiasm on a circuit that he “adore“and in much better form than at the Paris Olympics.”Yes, I feel fitter than at the Olympics. In Paris, I wasn’t bad either, but I lacked enough to play the leading roles“, declared the Frenchman Friday evening during a press briefing two days before the Worlds road race.
I just keep feeling better and better
“At the Olympics, perhaps because I hadn’t done the Tour de France, I was starting to get back into shape. Since then, I’ve only been feeling better and better“, added “Alaf”, double world champion in 2020 and 2021. Eleventh at the Games, where the Blues won silver by Valentin Madouas and bronze by Christophe Laporte, he has since taken second place in the Clasica San Sebastian and third at the Montreal GP on a demanding circuit.
Magnier: “Seeing Julian take risks for me, it warmed my heart”
In Zurich too, the 273 km course promises to be tough and Alaphilippe “adore“what he saw during reconnaissance on Friday.”We did two laps, it’s a circuit that I like, it has everything. It requires several qualities, you have to be explosive, resistant, technical. It requires a lot of energy and concentration and especially the legs. It also corresponds to our way of taking the race. I can’t wait for Sunday.”
We are not going to race for fifteenth place
“We have a great teamhe insisted. We’re here to try to win the race, that’s for sure. We know it will be hard, but we will give our best so as not to have regrets. We are not going to race for fifteenth place“For the 32-year-old Frenchman, who will join the Swiss Tudor team next year after ten years with Quick-Step, the world champion’s rainbow jersey.”was and will always remain for me the most beautiful jersey in Cycling“. “I had the chance to wear it for two years“, he underlined, hoping for “resume Sunday“.
Fritsch’s scenario: “Pogacar attacks in the raidard, Van der Poel follows him…”
