The Tour de France is gaining altitude for the first time since the start, in the Vosges, arrival judged at the top of the Super Planche des Belles Filles. Everyone will have their eyes fixed on the regional of the stage, Thibaut Pinot. But above all there will be a great absentee: the world champion Julian Alaphilippe, not recovered from a fall in the spring. The darling of the French public is missing on the roads of the Tour… and not only to its fans.
From our special correspondent in Nancy,
His little goatee, his mischievous smile, his rainbow jersey… so many decorative elements to which the Tour had become accustomed and which are not there this year. Thursday July 7, the end of the stage in Longwy would have been perfect for Julian Alaphilippe. We could have heard his name chanted by all the race commentators.
Valentin, “Quick-Step” jersey – the French rider’s team – on the back, is a great admirer of Alaphilippe: ” This is an instinctive runner, we like to see him attack, even if sometimes it’s a bit crazy, that’s how we like cycling, especially in France, it’s less calculated! »
Even its competitors miss it. What’s a Tour without Julian? The response from Frenchman Benoît Cosnefroy: “ It’s a place gained, but it’s just a pity for the French public, but we will perhaps have a little more encouragement because when there is Julian, there is only for him, so, maybe we’ll share the rest of the public a little! »
Julian Alaphilippe sidelined by his training as he returned to form. This makes another disappointed, Christian Prudhomme, the boss of the Tour: “ If you ask me if I prefer a race with or without Julian Alaphilippe, I will obviously tell you that I prefer him with it, it’s obvious, he’s a runner who creates emotions, which bothers me the most. is that he really wanted to be there and that he seems unhappy. »
To dry their tears, the French public can watch the profile of the first stages of the 2023 tour, in the Basque country, with ribs cut for the French star.
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