"it will take a while before he is back to his level" - Quick-Step look back on Julian Alaphilippe's underwhelming first days at Vuelta

The Vuelta a Espana is largely being used as preparation for the World championships for Julian Alaphilippe, as he looks to regain his best form after several illnesses and injuries that have taken a toll on his season.

After the fifth stage of the Vuelta, team DS Wilfried Peeters said that “it makes sense that it will take a while before he is back to his level. He spent a week at home with corona after the Tour de Wallonie and that cost forces." The Frenchman had returned to racing at the Tour de l'Ain, but was far from his best. Nevertheless, the World champion said he aimed high at the start of the Vuelta, but the opening days have seen an Alaphilippe far from his best. Stage 4 into Laguardia was ideal for his skillset as a puncheur, and stage 5 also suited him - although the breakaway was unlikely to be captured.

“There weren't many chances for him anyway. Yesterday we gave him the chance to go for the stage win," Peeters said. "But in the coming weeks he also knows that Remco's classification is the main goal." Alaphilippe will still have some opportunities to perform and fight for wins, but he'll need to build on his form over the coming weeks.

“Yesterday it wasn't one hundred percent, but I wouldn't draw too many conclusions from today, because there was nothing left to gain," Alaphilippe said after the finale in Bilbao. "Of course stage four was a stage on his size, but he said afterwards: at 300 meters from the finish I no longer had the strength to 'explode'. Until then, he was still with it.”