"I just didn’t have the legs" at Mur de Huy, says Julian Alaphilippe

Julian Alaphilippe was together with Tadej Pogacar the main favourites for yesterday's Flèche Wallone, however he was just shy off the podium, not having the power to do better than fourth atop the Mur de Huy.

“First of all, I want to thank the entire team, because they worked hard and did a huge job for me. I wanted to win today, for myself and for the Wolfpack, I was very motivated and gave my best, but I just didn’t have the legs," the World champion said after the finish. He didn't enter the Mur in the best position, with Remco Evenepoel absent from the head of the peloton and Mauri Vansevenant covering the late attack of Soren Kragh Andersen.

He climbed up the group over the final ascent, but he didn't have his traditional explosivity in the final few hundred meters, ending with him finishing in fourth spot, with Dylan Teuns arriving to the finish five seconds before for an impressive victory.

"There were other riders stronger than me at the end of the day, so I don’t have any regrets. It is as it is. Now I have to leave this behind and move my focus to Liège–Bastogne–Liège," Alaphilippe concluded.

His result was on-par with Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team's performance until now this spring, and Liège-Bastogne-Liège will be a final opportunity for the team to prove their worth in this campaign.