Patrick Lefevere dissatisfied with Alaphilippe's World championships priorities: "I don’t pay him for that"
Cycling
Julian Alaphilippe is having a third World champion title in his mind as a main priority, and Patrick Lefevere has talked about his feelings regarding that decision, instead of prioritizing the team's calendar.
In conversation with De Morgen, Lefevere said that “I hope he doesn’t repeat his trick from last year. Then he rode the Tour de France in preparation of the world championships. You can do that once, but in principle, I don’t pay him for that". The Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team manager was referring to the 2020 edition, where Alaphilippe's win came a week after he finished a successful Tour in Paris - where he won the second stage and briefly led the race.
Lefevere doesn't look back at that period positively however, not pleased with the priority given to the Worlds as it does not benefit the team directly. An argument that can easily be countered, however he justified that he believes his riders should have their full commitment in the team's schedule.
This year, with several injuries and illnesses, Alaphilippe has ridden below the expected level. He's using the Vuelta a Espana as preparation for the World champions, but Lefevere expects there to be results throughout the three-week race aswell. “I expect something from him in the Vuelta a España, and not just in the service of Evenepoel," he said.
“OK, he’s been through a lot of adversity. It was not an easy season for him. But it wasn’t for me either, his employer. I will always defend my riders, but that is a little easier with someone who earns 70,000 euros than when it concerns an amount with six zeros," he concluded.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
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Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- I had no idea about that either.
santiagobenites10-11-2026 - great analysis thanks! appreciate you posting this. I didn't realize CX had a different standard for deviation. this is even more egregious it seems.mij10-11-2026
- As he isn't currently with Red Bull, I guess if he want to race for one more year he needs to find a team. He's 37 so this will be his last year I would guess, unless he wants to race for almost nothing like Froome did.awp10-11-2026
- I think some are making much ado about nothing. Even though Jonas is getting older, before his crash in the Tour, he looked like a solid 2nd all the way home. No one can really climb with Tadej until this year, Eric Mas showed himself which I think was a one off year for him and Paul Seixas has been able to be pretty close to him. Whatever stage race Jonas enters as long as Tadej is not there he is a favorite to win.awp10-11-2026
- Giro or not Giro, he won't win the Tour!MajorPayne10-11-2026
- Very true.awp10-11-2026
- Ciccone had a very strong end of season. Consistently attacking and livening up races. Hope he makes that last leap in progress and starts notching some significant wins. Great rider to watch.Occam10-11-2026
- Me too!!!!!Occam10-11-2026
- they can sign any 100 of top riders today but Pogi will win over Remco any time at the TDF unless something goes wrongabstractengineer10-11-2026
- the time for a GC rider to retire is when they cannot win stages, or have a significant level drop like from winner/podium into top 5/10 consistently. Roglic is still competitive and Froome raced even though he became pack fodder.abstractengineer10-11-2026
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