“It's time to stop when there's no more pleasure”: Julian Alaphilippe hints at Tour de France retirement atop Alpe d'Huez

Julian Alaphilippe admitted that the 2026 Tour de France could be his final appearance in cycling's biggest race after an emotional finish atop Alpe d'Huez. The two-time world champion reflected on the growing challenge of competing against the sport's new generation, while fellow Frenchman Kévin Vauquelin revealed he rode stage 20 on the verge of illness after one of the hardest days of his career.

Alaphilippe crossed the finish line exhausted after the queen stage through the Alps, having spent much of the day helping Tudor Pro Cycling Team leader Yannis Voisard. The Frenchman admitted he gave everything despite enduring a difficult Tour in which he was unable to make a major impact.

“It was a terrible stage. Everyone expected a horrible day and the pace was incredibly high from the start. I was happy because today I actually felt quite good and I was able to help my leader Yannis. It went well, but it was hard,” he said after the stage.

Riding alongside Warren Barguil in the closing kilometres made the day even more emotional. “I was with Warren Barguil and there were a lot of emotions because we've suffered a lot during this Tour. It could be my last one, so I enjoyed it and gave everything. I didn't have much success, but we never gave up. That's also what cycling is about.”

The 34-year-old acknowledged that modern racing has become increasingly difficult as the level continues to rise. “You can really feel the difference with the new generation. The speeds are incredible, the average speeds are unbelievable. It's becoming harder and harder just to get into the breakaway because more and more riders want to be there while there are fewer victories available.”

Comparing the fatigue to his memorable 2019 Tour, Alaphilippe admitted this year's exhaustion was different. “I remember Val Thorens in 2019... I was just as tired then. But now it's the fatigue, the emotion... everything.”

For now, he has little interest in thinking about the final stage in Paris. “Right now I don't want anything. I just want to hold my son in my arms. I don't want to think about tomorrow. At the moment I'm not enjoying it anymore. It's time to stop when there's no more pleasure.”

While Alaphilippe reflected on his future, Kévin Vauquelin endured one of the toughest days of his career. The Netcompany INEOS rider admitted he had virtually no strength throughout the queen stage and believes he was close to becoming ill. “Today I had zero strength, so I feel there's something wrong. I feel like I was on the limit of getting sick.”

Despite the physical struggles, the Frenchman refused to give up and viewed the experience as another important step in his development. “I fought against my body, but after everything we've done over the last two weeks, this is simply what happened today.”

Vauquelin compared the experience to his previous Tour appearance but admitted this edition had been on another level. “I recharged my batteries compared to the Tour I rode last year, but it's incomparable. This has been a completely different Tour, an extremely difficult Tour.”

Although stage 20 pushed him to his limit, the young Frenchman believes the suffering will ultimately help him in the future. “I'll take it as experience, and I hope it helps me avoid even worse situations in the years to come.”