“He hit his knee violently and is still suffering" - Patrick Lefevere reveals Julian Alaphilippe is a doubt for the Ardennes
Cycling
Just when Soudal - Quick-Step must have thought the season couldn't get any worse, the general manager of the team, Patrick Lefevere has now revealed that star rider Julian Alaphilippe is a serious doubt for the Ardennes classics.
“He hit his knee violently and is still suffering," Lefevere reveals in an interview with Het Laatste Nieuws. "He will certainly be out at least until the Amstel Gold Race." Results of 51st at the Tour of Flanders and 29th at Dwars Door Vlaanderen however mean that Alaphilippe may need the break to return to top form.
To confound the issues at Soudal - Quick-Step, Lefevere also revealed that 28-year-old Italian, Davide Ballerini, who crashed out of the recent Paris-Roubaix is also still suffering. “He's not feeling very well after that crash," says Lefevere. ""e'll have to focus on the guys who have done the Itzulia Basque Country."
The likes of Mauro Schmid and Andrea Bagioli will now likely enter the Ardennes series of races as the Soudal - Quick-Step leaders and the always outspoken Lefevere will no doubt be hoping for better results.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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