Victim of a heavy fall during the recent World Championships, Julian Alaphilippe will not be in the Tour of Lombardy, the last big race of the season.
Julian Alaphilippe’s story at the Quick-Step therefore ended abruptly, with a fall around a hundred kilometers from the finish of the World Championships. Forced to abandon, the French runner had to be transported to hospital. And if the exams had been reassuring, this new fall truly signaled the end of his season. And therefore the end of his history within the Belgian team.
As expected since this fall, Julian Alaphilippe will not be at the start on Sunday of the Tour of Lombardy, the last major meeting of the season. Patrick Lefévère’s team confirmed this on Wednesday by announcing the six riders selected for the Classic of Dead Leaves, including Remco Evenepoel, who will try to make Tadej Pogacar bite the dust.
Julian Alaphilippe dreamed of another ending
“He was devastated,” said an equally disappointed Thomas Voeckler after the race. “There is Julian’s hard blow. From a sporting point of view, already, because he told me that he had legs of fire, and from a human point of view. It was our trump card, regretted the French coach. We had to digest that. » And the blow was all the harder for Julian Alaphilippe as he hoped to leave the Quick-Step through the front door.
“I’m super motivated to finish the season well. Hoping to win at least once. Here it would be great, but for the last races I really want to be able to give my best. Every race is special for me now, because I know it will be the last one I compete in with the team,”
he confided at the beginning of September. The Frenchman was ultimately unable to do better than third during the Montreal Grand Prix.
