The great start of the 2023 season of the great figures of the peloton such as Tadej Pogacar, Remco Evenepoel and Jonas Vingegaard It also adds another ‘resurrection’ at this start of the season: that of the Frenchman Julian Alaphilippewho wants to shine again in the big events.
An Alaphilippe who has shown signs that he arrives prepared to fight for everything after opening his record of victories in 2023 at the Faun-Ardèche Classic after competing in three of the Challenge de Mallorca trophies, being ninth in the Calvià Trophy.
A victory that certifies that Alaphilippe wants to turn the page on a gray 2022 in which a hard fall during the Liège-Bastogne-Liège dispute prevented him from reaching the Tour de France in good shape and wearing the rainbow jersey in the Grande Boucle, before suffering a new fall in the Tour of Spain that depleted him a few weeks before the World Championships in Wollongong, where ‘Loulou’ made a discreet performance.
An Alaphilippe who celebrated his victory like this. “I feel good, it’s been a long time since my last victory. I was craving the feeling of winning because a lot has happened since I last won. This result confirms the hard work of the last few weeks. I know that my condition will improve and I am proud of the work that I have done. The team was incredible, they did a great job all day first with Rémi Cavagna and then with Ilan Van Wilder, who was key on the penultimate climb leaving me in a perfect position. I knew he had good legs, he was motivated and that’s why I attacked. So in the sprint I gave it my all and I am very happy to reward the boys with a victory. It gives me a lot of confidence for the spring classics.” Word of a Julian Alaphilippe who this Sunday will have a more demanding test at the Strade Bianche, where he will start as one of Mathieu Van der Poel’s great rivals after the loss of Wout Van Aert.