Patrick Lefevere reveals that Julian Alaphilippe is not part of preliminary Tour de France lineup: "I think the Giro suits his racing style more"
Cycling
French cyclist Julian Alaphilippe likely won't line up for the next Tour de France, said the Belgian team's sporting director Patrick Lefevere this Wednesday. Soudal - Quick-Step's strategy should be centered around Remco Evenepoel, who will ride his first Tour de France in 2024, leaving too little room for the Frenchman.
"A priori no, because seeing Julian as a 100% domestic of Remco Evenepoel, I don’t like that idea," declared Lefevere on the sidelines of his team’s presentation about the former double world champion whose contract expires at the end of the year.
Alaphilippe, who is currently in Australia where he will compete in the Tour Down Under for the first time in ten years next week, is expected to start at the Giro d'Italia. "I think the Giro suits his style of attackive rider, not always intelligent but who people like," said Lefevere.
Asked about the Frenchman's reaction to his likely non-selection for the Tour, he said: "A disgruntled rider in a team is useless. He had the opportunity to leave because several teams sought to recruit him. I had discussions with him, but the year before, not last year. I said the things I wanted to say but I'm not someone who repeats himself. We reached an agreement. He said: 'Patrick, give me one more winter'. It's up to him now to prove it."
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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