"The atmosphere, the country, the sights" - Julian Alaphilippe inspired for Strade Bianche success

A very passionate rider, Julian Alaphilippe is back to good form and will be a big favourite for this Saturday's Strade Bianche. He talks of his desire to win the Tour des Flandres and to race on the Italian classics.

“The Tour of Flanders is just behind Strade Bianche in my favourite races. The one I dream of winning of course is Flanders first because I have already won the Strade Bianche;" Alaphilippe told Eurosport France. "These are races where there is an atmosphere. Especially the Ronde in Belgium... That's why I ride a bike, it's to win these kinds of races that transcend the sport by their difficulty, their history, the crowd. You feel that if you win that, it's something else. If I win Flanders, I'll be happy!”  

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The 30-year old's campaign began at the Mallorca classics, however after a long training block it was only this past weekend that he showed his true legs. He's won the mountainous Faun-Ardèche Classic ahead of David Gaudu, proving his current form and status as a favourite for Strade Bianche, which he has won back in 2019.

“The year I won was 2019 with [Jakob] Fuglsang. A very hard race, we started far from the finish, it was hot. I only really believed in victory at the top of the last cobbled climb before arriving in Piazza del Campo. I really hurt myself to win, that was something," he recalls. "The year with Mathieu (2021, ed.), another great race. With him when he attacks or when I attack, when the race is unbridled, it's always hard. He was really impressive, I remember I struggled to recover after each sector."

In 2023 he will have van der Poel at the start line, but the danger could emerge from other in-form riders such as Tom Pidcock and Tim Wellens. Alaphilippe leads a strong Soudal - Quick-Step which features Andrea Bagioli and Mauri Vansevenant as outsiders. The Frenchman talks of how despite his goals in the classics, he intends on remaining a lightweight rider.

“I don't want to gain weight to be better on the cobblestones. I remain with my qualities. I made efforts to try to recover a little bit [my weight] this winter but it was due to last season with the crashes and everything, I had lost a lot of muscle and power," he said. "I worked on that this winter, I feel better. It's something that made me feel good but it was not weight gain planned to be better on the cobblestones."

“I bet on my punch, when I'm really 100%, I'm really versatile. It is not by gaining five kilos that I will become a real sprinter. I also have a lot to lose," he continued. His specialty as a puncheur has earned him many triumphs in the past, and he continues to believe that his strength lies on the short ascents, where he can achieve the victories he desires.

As for Strade Bianche he comments: “I think it's my favourite race… the atmosphere, the country, the sights. Tuscany is an amazing place in Italy. I like it when I arrive in Italy to do the sequence Strade Bianche, Tirreno-Adriatico, San-Remo. It marks the beginning of the season for me. It is an atypical race, anything and everything can happen in a few kilometres."

A treacherous race, the white road sectors will be quite dangerous as he knows himself, having somersaulted over his bike in a high-speed crash last year. The former World Champion is looking for revenge, but most importantly to take his first big win in almost a year.