Last Friday (12), during the Soudal Quick-Step presentation, in Calpe – Spain, team directors announced that Julian Alaphilippe will dedicate himself to participating in the Giro d’Italia and that the Tour de France is not on your list of priorities this year.
++ Premier League accuses, and Everton and Nottingham Forest could lose points
The cyclist was not present at the presentation, however, he confirmed the statement at the event. During an interview with L’ Équipe, the athlete explained the reasons that led to the change in focus of the competitions, saying that he will be present at the Strade Bianche and Milan-San Remo matches.
++ Biden recognizes Trump’s victory in Iowa and names former president as ‘clear favorite’
“The question was more about ‘when will I decide to go?’ and I thought ‘why not this year?’ Looking at the races in Australia, the Classics and the Giro, I felt a change”, said the athlete about the change in strategy which came from him. Continuing with the decision, Julian Alaphilippe shared the idea with Patrick Lefevere, team boss, who agreed with the strategy.
The cyclist took the opportunity to put an end to rumors that he might have a problem working with Remco Evenepoel, claiming that he had already competed with the athlete in the competition in 2022. Furthermore, he reported that the reasons for his decision were other and not, specifically, the co-worker.
“I know it can be seen that way, but really, I don’t care. The decision is mine, I designed my program and it was confirmed by the team so that we could win stages in the Giro d’Italia and then with the GC with Evenepoel in the Tour”, said the athlete, reinforcing that he needed a space to take a break and a brake in the routine.
