"I got cramps. I couldn't go on" - Julian Alaphilippe goes to the absolute limit in search of return to the top at Liège

For several years now Julian Alaphilippe has struggled to match the best in the top classics. At Liège-Bastogne-Liège we have perhaps seen the Frenchman at his best level once again, but cramps in the finale of the long and difficult race saw the former World Champion sink down the results sheet.

Alaphilippe was two times second at La Doyenne, and in 2020 he celebrated a victory that turned out not to be one - he was overtaken at the line, but also later relegated for an irregular sprint. That was his last good result in the last of the Ardennes classics, as in later years he would struggle with lack of form, illness or even absence due to injuries. This Sunday he showed his best level (now in a peloton that races with an extra gear).

"I don't regret how I raced. I felt good all day, but I was at my limit after La Redoute," Alaphilippe said in words to Cyclism'Actu. Alaphilippe was part of the four-rider group that was chasing Tadej Pogacar, but gave few turns at the front of the peloton as he attempted to recover from the effort.

On the final climb of the day, the legs could not match what the head was trying to acomplish: "I tried to keep up with Ciccone, Pidcock, and Healy and push on at the Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons, but it was tough, and I got cramps. I couldn't go on, so I have no regrets".

In the end, he couldn't stay in the peloton either, and finished 58th on the day. "Of course, it's disappointing that I didn't get a good result. Especially since the first part of my season is almost over. But I have to stay patient. I've always given everything and raced with heart and soul. Sometimes it's just the legs".

Alaphilippe's spring schedule is not over yet though, as he will be racing Eschborn-Frankfurt in a more modest field where a victory is quite possible. ”It's encouraging to be at this level and feel strong. The team did a fantastic job. We stayed focused, rode at the front, and in the end, the results depend on your legs".