Patrick Lefevere responds to Marion Rousse statement: My words in English sound heavier than I said them in Dutch

An incredible situation has developed over the past 24 hours at Soudal - Quick-Step, as Patrick Lefevere indicated in an interview that in the past he's warned Julian Alaphilippe of possibly firing him and said he and his wife Marion Rousse would have alcohol too often. After Rousse claimed that to be false, the team manager now responds at the situation.

“I am considering making a statement on Twitter, because once again my words in English – without the context of the interview – sound heavier than I said them in Dutch," Lefevere told Het Nieuwsblad this afternoon. “What did I say? José De Cauwer is my witness: not last year, but in November 2022 I took Julian Alaphilippe aside in Diegem to say: things cannot continue like this. Either I let you go, or we're going to do things differently from now on," Lefevere told Het Nieuwsblad this afternoon. Overall reactions following the interview with HUMO magazine were overwhelmingly negative towards the team manager, who has already over the past year and a half launched several negative comments to his rider.

Alaphilippe himself has not responded but his wife Marion Rousse, director of the Tour de France Femmes, was brought up in the interview and this morning promptly refused the accusations of Lefevere, in a very stern tone. "No matter how Mr. Lefevere feels about me, it is unacceptable to attack my private life as he does. So no, I do not drink alcohol, never have," she said regarding the alcohol accusation, adding: "Thank you from now on to stop speaking wrongly and across, and to show more respect and... class."

"My message was: 'talent alone will no longer work. You get older and have to live differently'," Lefevere says. "Julian has performed big numbers in the Tour, but at the time there were no or less pronounced top performers such as Mathieu Van der Poel, Tadej Pogacar and Primoz Roglic that he is now competing against.”

He stands by some of his statements, but adds additional information now, acknowledging that the Frenchman has improved since the two have had the conversation, and it was not current criticism: “There was a period with too many parties, but I have to say: he hasn't had a drink since our conversation in November 2022."

"Not within the team and not outside the team. I have spoken to people who were with him on the training camp in Sierra Nevada: not a drop more. And training has never been a problem, he has always continued to do so.”