Julian Alaphilippe skips the Tour of Flanders as a consequence of recent illness

One less world champion at the starline of Tour of Flanders this Sunday. Julian Alaphilippe was recently fighting an illness and still isn't fit enough to participate in the second Monument of the season.

In an attempt to regain some of his lost fitness, the new signing of Tudor Pro Cycling will instead ride the Itzulia Basque Country from Monday onwards, the Swiss team confirmed on X.

Alaphilippe made a total of four Tour of Flanders appearances but never managed to achieve a breakthrough result. In 2020, he was in the winning move with Mathieu van der Poel and Wout Van Aert until a collision with TV motorbike took him out of the battle for victory. And out of the race too. Since then he never quite came close to such success.

After Itzulia, the 32-year-old Frenchman should return for some more racing on Belgian (and Dutch) soil with his favourite Ardennes Classics on the menu on the week following the Spanish stage race.