In his final months at Soudal-Quick Step, Julian Alaphilippe was looking to end his tenure in style, as he demonstrated at the Clasica San Sebastián. The French puncher rode an aggressive race but was beaten in the sprint by a stronger Marc Hirschi. Nevertheless, Alaphilippe was satisfied with his performance and celebrated his return to the podium in a prestigious one-day race after some time away.
“I’m happy to be back on the podium of a big race,” said the former world champion in an interview after the race. “Of course I’m also a bit disappointed because I was so close to winning,” he admitted, revealing his competitive spirit. He had already put in a lot of effort on the way there, particularly reacting to an attack by Florian Lipowitz on the penultimate climb. “But yes, I think I rode a good race. I gave it my all. I’m happy with this second place.”
Alaphilippe paid the price for his attack on the penultimate climb, but fought his way back into the leading group in time for the Pilotegi. The final short but steep climb was ideal for Alaphilippe’s explosive style. “It was really hard. I felt good, so I rode at my own pace. I prefer that to having back pain. I pretended to finish at the top, but Marc Hirschi was very strong. He then sprinted well. He is also very explosive, so I have no regrets,” concluded Alaphilippe, who topped the podium at the Giro d’Italia earlier this year.
Alaphilippe ready for new horizons
Today, Soudal Quick Step team manager Patrick Lefevere confirmed that Alaphilippe would be leaving the team after many years. “Julian called me this week to tell me he was leaving. He was up all night and sick for weeks because of it, but he told me he was leaving the team.”
