"I've never forgotten that day" - Julian Alaphilippe recounts the Tour de France highlight of his career
Cycling
Julian Alaphilippe is one of the most iconic riders of the ten most recent editions of Tour de France. In 6 participations, he took 6 stages, finished 5th place overall, and won the mountains classification. The Frenchman also spent 18 days wearing the yellow jersey on his heroic quest in 2019.
It might be also partly thanks to his presence that Tudor Pro Cycling was invited this year for their Tour de France debut. "I know I have a history with the Tour, and not only because of my victories, but also because I had to face many different situations," Alaphilippe describes his relationship with Grande Boucle at Bistrot Vélo.
"Resilience and giving everything year after year with different challenges, whether it was winning the polka dot jersey, the yellow jersey, stage victories with Mark Cavendish but also Elia Viviani, Marcel Kittel… I experienced a lot of emotions on the Tour and these experiences have enriched me with so many memories… And of course, the public has always supported and encouraged me enormously. That's why returning to the roads of the Tour means a lot to me."
Julian Alaphilippe wearing yellow at the 2019 Tour de France
"I especially remember being at the start of my first Tour and having the dream of one day trying to win a stage. And my goal at that time was also to try to finish it, to arrive in Paris to say to myself: 'I've done the Tour de France and I've done the job for the team.'"
It did not take long for Alaphilippe who got a chance for rehearsal two years later. This time, he proceeded to write his name in the race's history without failure. "I never would have imagined achieving what I did after [my first start]. It's a source of pride, of course, because doing that on the roads of the Tour, the greatest race in the world, with the public, as a Frenchman, is magnificent. These emotions are magnified tenfold. It's incredible."
There's a long list of moments Alaphilippe likes to think back to, but perhaps his strongest memory would be his time trial victory in Pau while wearing the yellow jersey at the 2019 Tour. Albeit the Frenchman is not a terrible timetrialist, this victory far surpassed that at the 2017 Paris-Nice (which finished on a steep climb).
"The course suited me very well. I knew I had the best legs I'd ever had," he recalls. "And you're overwhelmed by the Yellow Jersey. The whole world expects you to lose the jersey and you want to show the opposite. But I still didn't think I'd win a time trial with the yellow jersey on your shoulders! It was special. I've never forgotten that day."
Since the Frenchman doesn't (under normal circumstances) fall into the category of GC leader, you might think he gets to ride carefree, striving in chaos and doing whatever he pleases. Well, that might be true at times, but you can only ever excel at that when it's backed by appropriate level.
"You enjoy yourself when you have good legs," he grins about whether Tour is the race where a rider like him can have a good time. "But in any case, it's up to me to find my way to enjoy it and try to meet the objectives I set for myself, for the stages I'm aiming for."
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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- wtf dudemij07-11-2026
- big rival … ridiculous.Ketterechts07-11-2026
- It would be great if the World Champion's jersey could be rotated among McNulty, Simmons, and Jorgenson. They threaded the needle perfectly. If each hadn't done exactly what he did, exactly when he did it, the race would have gone to one of the more heralded superstars. That said, how nice that this humble and hardworking guy gets his moment in the sun.
MarkFour07-11-2026 - This is a really interesting idea, which, if well prepared could even be very successful. Very little money needs to be involved for a first season and any success could lead to rapid interest from sponsors.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Hmmm, you seem to have a very convenient black and white view of things. Perhaps you haven’t been around much to discover how complex problems can become over time with people who know how to control, manipulate (or worse) others so gradually or subtly that you arrive at an irresolvable situation before you realise. This is how many inconveniences get introduced to the young, naïve, passionate or “desperate”, knowing they are not armed, protected or strong enough to defend themselves once it’s too late. Why do you think omerta culture is so widespread, why do you think so many people continue to go through so many awful things in life that others can’t understand anyone getting into? Life may be far more jolly for you but you would do well to understand (or reflect more on) the real world to refrain from being so quick to criticise those in a hard spot that may have genuine reason for speaking out.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Seriously do you think when somebody gets into a serious accident, the ambulance is called by the hurt person?🤦 there is always a buddy system in place for a risky job. police , firefighters etc so that if someone gets hurt, the other call that in.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I get the point totally. We live in the snowflake society where some riders forget they are getting paid to ride and get results. When they have a few issues they try to look outside of the real issue instead of themselves. It odd so many of the team are making no complaints and getting on with their job. If you do not like what you do find another job simples. Tough love as my mum would say.paultryan200207-11-2026
- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
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