"There is less room for instinctive riders like me" - Julian Alaphilippe saddened by changes to pro cycling over last decade

One of the standout riders of his generation, Julian Alaphilippe has excited fans for more than a decade now. Over the course of his time in the professional peloton though, a lot has changed and ahead of his 2025 opener at the Figueira Champions Classic, the French star has reflected on his career.

"The main difference between now and ten years ago is that there is less room for instinctive riders like me," evaluates Alaphilippe in conversation with Wieler Revue. "It's increasingly about the calculations that our trainers make. It makes me sad when riders are only concerned with the power they rode after a race. If they've broken their 5-minute record, they don't even care what happened in the race. That's not cycling to me. For me it's about the show, making the race and getting results."

As such, the always attacking Alaphilippe has no intention to change styles after switching teams to the Tudor Pro Cycling Team over the recent off-season. "My goal is still to be an attacking rider, to keep entertaining people," Alaphilippe explains. "It's the reason why I love this sport. I'm working hard to get back to my best level possible, but I'm living the sport the same way I did when I turned pro in 2014. A lot has changed, but I think it's important to stay who I am. And yes, that's becoming increasingly difficult in modern cycling. I try to evolve with the new reality, but I also want to stay myself."

"Of course, aggressive racing with heart can still beat the raw numbers. If that were no longer the case, I would no longer be here. The sport will need that 'panache'. The riders who colour a little outside the lines of the usual scenario. I will continue to do that until I stop," he adds. "To be honest, I rarely look at my abilities, because you can ride record after record, but in the end it's all about your feeling on the bike. It's one of the reasons why I chose Tudor Pro Cycling. Here there is a professional structure, but I also get the freedom to race the way I want."