Julian Alaphilippe towards imminent retirement at 34

Julian Alaphilippe warned everyone at the end of the penultimate stage of the 2026 Tour de France. “There is nothing official, but you should not expect to see me again. » Nobody wanted to believe it, but according to the Dutch media Wielerfliets and the French sports daily L'Equipe, the former double world road cycling champion is indeed heading towards retirement at 34. Alaph would thus give up his last year of contract with Tudor and the 2026 Tour, on which he has once again failed to influence, will very probably be the last race of his career.

The former leader of the Quick-Step, initially the darling of Patrick Lefévère before his decline led to a deterioration in his relations with his sporting director, has won almost everything with the Belgian team. At the top of his art between 2019 and 2021, he built the greatest track record for a French runner in the 21st century, before falling into line. The Tour of Flanders 2020 and Liège-Bastogne-Liège 2021 will remain his two unfinished masterpieces.

In the category of the greatest exploits of French runners on the Grande Boucle in the 21st century, Thibaut Pinot is right up there. But Alaph accompanied him during one of them, on the road to Saint-Etienne, in 2019. It was even he who attacked on the Côte de la Jaillère, taking his compatriot on his wheel, on a mission to take back time from the leaders in the general classification. The move works wonderfully: the duo recovers 28 seconds and Julian takes the yellow jersey.

Not many people would have bet on the double, however, a year later, Julian Alaphilippe decided to do it again in Louvain in 2021, postponing by a year the handover to the Van der Poel, Van Aert and Pogacar generation, to whom he had nevertheless bowed the rest of the season. But Alaph was on a mission, and, touched by grace, had managed to isolate himself after yet another brutal attack on steep slopes. Double world champion, my brother.

Julian Alaphilippe also became, late in life, the man of failed celebrations. On Liège-Bastogne-Liège 2020, he raised his arms to the sky before having his hair styled on the line by Primoz Roglic (without regret since he was downgraded for a wave on Marc Hirschi). And in the 2025 Tour de France, he celebrated a 3rd place while thinking he had crossed the line first. Two moments which will symbolize the long decline of the champion.