Julian Alaphilippe's first steps within Tudor are particularly convincing in the eyes of his teammates.
A new life begins for Julian Alaphilippe. After more than a decade within the Quick-Step, the French rider joined the Tudor team, signing up for three years with the Swiss team. For his greatest happiness.
“I feel really good. A bit like a junior. I feel a rush of freshness and it makes me feel good. It was definitely a good time to leave and I appreciate it. It's like a form of rediscovery. I'm stepping out of my comfort zone.” he recently confided in an interview with Le Parisien.
Julian Alaphilippe, “a normal guy”
And the happiness seems infectious if we are to believe his teammates, who are full of praise for the native of Saint-Amand-Montrond. “I wasn't surprised by Julian's energy. I knew him from having met him at the races, but also from what I saw of him in the media. It's exactly as I expected. He is a positive person, who laughs and loves Cycling. He is very good at setting the mood in a team, at making everyone happy,” underlined Marc HIrschi, the other key recruit of the winter at Tudor, to L'Equipe.
-Same story with young Mathys Rondel (21), who moved from Conti to the pros this winter. “When you see the edging (the world champion's rainbow) on the shoulders, it's huge, like his record. He’s a normal guy, who talks normally, but it’s Alaphilippe, that’s him.”he said about this “guy with two arms two legs”.
The arrival of Julian Alaphilippe should bring Tudor into a new dimension, notably allowing it to be invited to major races, first and foremost the Tour de France. “With him on the team, we have a better chance of being invited to the Tour, where I really want to return”acknowledged Marc Hirschi bluntly.
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