"In the 2019 Tour he wore the yellow jersey for 15 days... He could have won it" - Patrick Lefevere recalls favourite Julian Alaphilippe memory at Soudal - Quick-Step
Cycling
After spending his entire professional career in the colours of Soudal - Quick-Step and their various different names over the years, Julian Alaphilippe will move on to pastures new in 2025.
Whilst the French star and Soudal - Quick-Step's at times controversial team boss Patrick Lefevere haven't always seen eye to eye, Lefevere has recently been speaking fondly of the two time world champion. Despite the fact Alaphilippe has built up a palmares of 44 wins during his time at Soudal - Quick-Step however, Lefevere's favourite memory of the now 32-year-old's career, is a near miss.
"It was the 2019 Tour, in which he wore the yellow jersey for 15 days," Lefevere recalls in conversation with Sporza. with the Belgian even certain that Alaphilippe could and maybe should have won the Tour de France had it not been for the weather conditions and a curious call by the race jury. "The 19th stage was neutralised, the jury took the times at the top of the mountain (handing the Maillot Jaune to Egan Bernal ed.). If everything goes well, he might win that Tour. But that's "if, if"..."
"It's a bit painful after more than 10 years. We discovered him and he joined us in 2014. He rode his entire career with us and that of course had its ups and downs. But I'm an optimist and remember the good moments," Lefevere continues. "He was always very concerned about the team. I understand that he is now leaving at the age of 32 and choosing the money."
Whilst, as of the time of writing at least, no official confirmation of where Alaphilippe will ride in 2025, it has been heavily rumoured that the Frenchman will be sporting the colours of the Tudor Pro Cycling Team next year as one of a number of star signings for the Swiss team ran by the Fabian Cancellara.
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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- So far, a good series about riders before my time, even if the text feels AI generated like so much on this site. About the rider, he seems like one of many who are active fan favorites but don’t survive in the stories of cycling, a few decades later - I didn’t really know anything about him and this was a good read, thank you!RidesHills15-11-2026
- A calm, honest documentary, a bit of hagiography but mostly not too much. When he talks about a coffee shop, it aligns with several things in his world - he might want calm, but he does (more than a little bit) have someone near him (his fiancee) who makes sure that things happen the way he expects. Many atheletes have retired only to find out just how much others were taking care of their lives for them. If they work out (I'm old, things happen), I am sure it will take a renegotiation, which is a good thing. I truly enjoyed watching it, seeing him, seeing her, seeing the whole system built around him.RidesHills15-11-2026
- You do? My mother grew up around Bleiburg (Pliberk), across the border in Austria . My grandparents lived close to the train station in Bleiburg, and I spent a lot of the 70s and 80s there. The "Jugo" train of my youth went to Dravograd or Maribor, exotic places (behind the wall) at the time. What a moment that was, the 10 days war of '91 - times sure have changed.RidesHills15-11-2026
- I hope he rides a bitmij15-11-2026
- Greatest athlete this world has ever produced ! LOL ... you definitely are a comdian ! Cycling is so sprecialized and you think he's the greatest athlete ever ! Still laughing !frieders315-11-2026
- b.s. headline. Jonas wasn't told anything, it is just a pundit telling him what to do. the actual article is not even close to the insinuation of the headline.mij15-11-2026
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- Not a chance in hell.megasmacky15-11-2026
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Name a better descender than @alafpolak? After losing touch with the rest of the GC favourites on the Col du Galibier, Alaphilippe had work to do on the descent...
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