Julian Alaphilippe may have found his team for 2025... And he may race together with Marc Hirschi after San Sebastian battle

Julian Alaphilippe will leave Soudal - Quick-Step. This was told by Patrick Lefevere this morning in his weekly Het Nieuwsblad column and so it is now a matter of deciding which team he will join. A report suggests that one team is ahead of the rest and he may actually race together with Marc Hirschi who beat him this afternoon at the Clásica San Sebastián.

“Julian Alaphilippe called me himself this week to let me know he was leaving. He had been awake at night and had been sick for weeks, but he told me he would be leaving the team," Lefevere said. It confirms what has been expected for years with the Frenchman leaving the team - although the contract will go all the way to the end, something that was several times in doubt following the manager's criticism of both Alaphilippe and his wife Marion Rousse.

Hence, there are three contenders for the signing of the Frenchman. Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team was said to be one of them with a millionaire contract but that deal was put aside. Tudor Pro Cycling Team and TotalEnergies look like the clear contenders, although all the teams are not at World Tour level.

TotalEnergies have for several months been very interested and would be a rather logical choice but Gazzetta dello Sport's Ciro Scognamiglio has reported this afternoon that the former World Champion is actually very close to finding an agreement with Tudor, the team ran by Fabian Cancellara. The Swiss team rode the Giro d'Italia already this season and has a level similar to that of lower World Tour teams. He would have a leadership role, without a doubt.

Tudor was set to sign the late Gino Mäder into the 2024 season, as said by Alexander Kamp earlier in the year, and it continues to be in search of the best Swiss riders. A report in March has linked today's winner in San Sebastián Marc Hirschi to the ProTeam and the signing is still expected to happen. It is quite possible that the team currently led by the likes of Matteo Trentin and Arvid de Kleijn will feature even more classics specialists in their lineup next year.