The Soudal-Quick Step team published on Wednesday the list of its seven riders for the Tour of Lombardy, Monument which constitutes the last major meeting of the season, in Italy. It will be led by its Belgian leader Remco Evenepoel, who will try to challenge Tadej Pogacar, winner of the last three editions and author of a new demonstration at the world championships in Zurich.
Julian Alaphilippe, who dislocated a shoulder in a fall during the World Championships at the end of September, will not be there, which seals the end of the adventure with his only team since his professional debut in 2013. Aged 32, the French will join the modest Swiss formation Tudor for next season, with the hope of turning the page on the last three delicate seasons.
Lack of performance
If he experienced glory with Soudal-Quick Step, notably winning Milan-San Remo in 2019 then becoming double world champion (2020 and 2021), Julian Alaphilippe indeed experienced very difficult 2022 and 2023 seasons, not failing to regain his best level after a serious fall during the 2022 edition of Liège-Bastogne-Liège. His lack of performance was criticized on several occasions by the team manager, Patrice Lefevere, who pointed out a discrepancy with the level of remuneration of his French star.
“We didn’t see where we were going”: For Pogacar, the cancellation was the choice of reason
This season, Alaphilippe has experienced a resurgence in form, materialized by a stage victory at the Giro. But he also collected second places, and the bad luck has not completely left him, like his latest fall, at the Zurich Worlds, where he was an outsider.
His participation in the Tour of Lombardy was unlikely since then. The announcement of his signing with Tudor Pro Cycling dates back to at least August. Within this team, which has a UCI ProTeam license, the second level of road cycling, the Frenchman will share the spotlight with another recruit, the Swiss Marc Hirschi.
Roglic also ABSENT
Another headliner will be missing in Lombardy. Red Bull – Bora-Hansgrohe has announced the absence of Primoz Roglic. “A long season comes to an endindicates the Slovenian team on X. Primoz and the performance team have decided to end an exciting year and begin the offseason immediately.“Winner of the Tour of Spain in September, Roglic did not stand out in the Worlds (12th in the time trial, 64th in the road race) and remained on two retirements in the Tour of Emilia and the Coppa Bernocchi.
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