Soudal-Quick Step published on Wednesday the list of its seven runners for the “dead leaves classic”, 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.
Alaphilippe will not be there, which seals the end of the adventure with his only team since his professional debut in 2013. Aged 32, the Frenchman will join the modest Swiss team Tudor for next season , with the hope of turning the page on the last three delicate seasons.
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.
One last fall before leaving for Tudor
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 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.
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