“I’m a bit disappointed I couldn’t follow the pace of the guys in the front" - Julian Alaphilippe looking to improve after failing to gain Maillot Jaune on opening stage of the Tour de France
CyclingSaturday, 01 July 2023 at 23:30
Whilst he certainly showed signs and threatened to be in the mix for the win, the first stage of the 2023 Tour de France was ultimately something of a disappointment for Julian Alaphilippe.
“I’m a bit disappointed I couldn’t follow the pace of the guys in the front," the French rider for Soudal - Quick-Step told his team's official website post-stage. "I fought hard to stay in a good position before the start of the last climb, as I knew how important that was. But then there are no excuses. I felt immediately how hard it would have been to keep the speed all the way to the top."
After a poor couple of years, Alaphilippe has returned to form in recent months and had high hopes of taking the opening Yellow Jersey. Sadly for him, that honour went to Adam Yates who outsprinted his brother Simon Yates in a thrilling finale to take the stage win.
"The dream of wearing the first yellow jersey is gone, but the race is still long and I remain confident that there will be more chances to go for a stage win," Alaphilippe concludes. "The important thing is to recover and see what I can do on Sunday."
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- Bloody hell, that's rubbish. Something fishy about it all 🐟 Did the Shiek bet Del Toro to lose against the odds?? Something from above happened in our race 🤔💩Jerrychicken03-06-2025
- Third, fourth, and fifth place finishes in any bicycle race (amateur or pro) are not "scraped" by any rider. Pidcock brings star attraction. It seems doubtful wildcards are "given" away.itsent03-06-2025
- It was just the most bizarre'ist thing I've ever seen, thought the Visma Vuelta debacle was something but this will stand for a good time...
leedorney03-06-2025 - I thought with a team change we would see a different Pidcock. It started well early season, but this interview sounds like the same old same old. I had hoped for more - but no. He might yet surprise us , but I wouldn't bet on it.Cyclingsbestfan03-06-2025
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- Pedersen... performs at the highest levels all year round not just in Julyslappers6603-06-2025
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- And Adam, then it'll be your turn as wellmhfrvz03-06-2025