From former to new World Champion: Alaphilippe praises "extraordinary season" from teammate Remco Evenepoel
Cycling
Julian Alaphilippe had accepted that it would be unlikely to take a third consecutive World title in Wollongong, but he was nevertheless happy as teammate and friend Remco Evenepoel soared to victory after a brave solo attack.
“We have no regrets because the strongest has won,” Alaphilippe said in an interview with l'Équipe after the finish. “But we are still second [Christophe Laporte] and it’s a good second place. We had a great team, we had a good race, we created movement, we were where we needed to be.”
Alaphilippe was part of the French team, which was consistently aggressive throughout the race. They failed to benefit from their attacking strategy despite having the numbers, instead having in the peloton their main weapons towards the end of the race as a large group went up the road to fight for the win.
“It wasn’t just anyone in front. It is no coincidence that Remco won. He was very strong and not only today. He had an extraordinary season. I’m very, very happy for him and that the jersey stays in the team," he continued, of course referring to Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team. As for Alaphilippe he showed good legs until the final lap, but finished an anonymous 51st place at the finish line.
“For me, it’s a mix of lots of emotions. I had taken the time to imagine myself without a rainbow jersey next week. It’s already rare to have been able to enjoy it for two years, there is a time for everything,” Alaphilippe said. “It will make me appreciate the moments I had with this jersey even more.”
France nevertheless managed to leadout Christophe Laporte into second place, as the Jumbo-Visma rider won the sprint in the peloton after catching the rest of the attack's survivors.
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A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
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Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
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- I had no idea about that either.
santiagobenites10-11-2026 - great analysis thanks! appreciate you posting this. I didn't realize CX had a different standard for deviation. this is even more egregious it seems.mij10-11-2026
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- Giro or not Giro, he won't win the Tour!MajorPayne10-11-2026
- Very true.awp10-11-2026
- Ciccone had a very strong end of season. Consistently attacking and livening up races. Hope he makes that last leap in progress and starts notching some significant wins. Great rider to watch.Occam10-11-2026
- Me too!!!!!Occam10-11-2026
- they can sign any 100 of top riders today but Pogi will win over Remco any time at the TDF unless something goes wrongabstractengineer10-11-2026
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Happiness tastes better when you share it with your teammates 😃 Photo: @GettySport
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