In difficulty with his performances, Julian Alaphilippe was once again criticized by his sports director Patrick Lefévère.
For several months, the sporting director of the Soudal-Quick Step Patrick Lefévère has accustomed us to more than critical statements towards the French runner Julian Alaphilippe. The double world champion 2020 and 2021 no longer has the form of a few years ago, after a 2022 season marked by numerous falls and serious injuries.
Never tender with his former leader, Patrick Lefévère spoke out once again after the GP E3 classic, which was held on Friday March 22. In his weekly column for the Flemish newspaper Het Nieuwsblad, the historic sporting director of the Soudal-Quick Step questioned the level of its leaders Julian Alaphilippe, Yves Lampaert and Kasper Asgreen, whose best in this race Yves Lampaert was ranked 29th. Lefévère described this collective result as “well below average.”
In this column in the form of a false mea culpa, he explains his mistake of having “concluded contracts in euphoria”, pointing quite clearly to the extension of Julian Alaphilippe in 2020, a few months after his first world champion title. These repeated attacks on the French champion have already earned Lefévère a sanction from the ethics committee of the International Cycling Union. He had in fact questioned Alaphilippe’s preparation and personal life, believing that there was “too much partying and alcohol.” He also directly attacked Alaphilippe’s partner, provoking the reaction of the president of the professional cyclists’ union.
After the E3 GP, Alaphilippe skipped Ghent-Wevelgem last weekend. On the other hand, he will be present on “Across Flanders” this Wednesday March 27, and especially on the Tour of Flanders Sunday March 31. If he is not favorite in the “Ronde” against Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert or Mads Petersen, he hopes for a good result in a classic which has never succeeded him, with at best a 42nd place in 2021 He should also take part in the Ardennes classics from April, with races which have historically been successful for him, notably the Walloon Arrow, which he has won three times.