Julian Alaphilippe crashes but remains positive on Flanders ambitions: "I am still convinced that it is a race that I love, that I dream of winning"

The cobbled classics have ended with Julian Alaphilippe not having shown his former self. After showing form at Tirreno-Adriatico he was unable to transform it into results over the past few weeks, and has finished the Tour of Flanders disappointed and without a result to build on.

"There were a lot of crashes today. I think we had a good race and we couldn't do much more," Alaphilippe said in a flash interview. The Frenchman went down in the day's mass crash caused by Filip Maciejuk, which took out some energy and freshness from him. It was already predictable that the Frenchman would struggle following the incident, which was later on proven.

"I think Kasper Asgreen is in the top 10, it's better than nothing. Me concerning, I was a little disappointed to fall but it was a big fall, so difficult to avoid. I am still convinced that it is a race that I love, that I dream of winning," he said. Alaphilippe crossed the line in 51st position, far away from the battle for the first places.

The Belgian team rode on the offensive with national champion Tim Merlier joining the breakaway and Kasper Asgreen attaking early on and riding into seventh place, but it was still not exactly what the former dominating squad of the cobbled classics hoped for.