"There is less room for instinctive riders like me" - Julian Alaphilippe saddened by changes to pro cycling over last decade
Cycling
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."
I fully support the way he rides. There are others who kinda ride intinctively also, but cycling is definetly not only about numbers like many obsess about. I would definetly obsess about numbers, but if the result doesn't match my effort, then I made the desisions at the wrong time and I'm still ot happy, even if my power record is the same. You see, 400w on the flats alone is a slower speed than 400w in a group, and thats again totally different than 400w on a climb. Yes,efforts matter, but position in the peloton might matter even more. Power gives an estimate of your race effort, and is one key in the bigger picture, so he rides for result and that's what should matter!
That’s probably why he’s so popular but you’ll only get permission to ride instinctively if you’re good enough in the first place, most riders are employed to follow strict orders or plans, either because they are not quite good enough physically or tactically or both to pull something off to the end. It seems Women race more instinctively, probably because the lower stakes still allow experimentation, it’s more interesting to many viewers but obviously riders also fail in their attempts more regularly.
He had an amazing run of getting in the right group at the right time and then hitting them with a perfectly timed attack. I think the problem is that there are at least two riders (van der Poel and Pogacar), if not more, who very much ride on instinct and for show. It’s just that they also train like demons and are physically gifted. Plus, my one dig against Alaphilippe, they don’t jerk their bikes all over the road when in a small group. Then again, they aren’t in a small group in the last 20 to 50 to 80km of the races they are winning.
Tend to agree, the irony being, when you have instinctive leaders, you don’t need instinctive domestiques. Obviously now that pressure on leaders is far higher, domestiques have to fall in line.
Most importantly, the new boss 'Spartacus' is not known to berate his riders in public.
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- Yeah, looks slow up there.Jumpyjohn28-03-2025
- lol His aim was well off! MVP was well past him before the guy decided to spit.Cyclingsbestfan28-03-2025
- But you know that’s what makes this website live ;-)Mistermaumau28-03-2025
- I hope he stays upright too and I hope that in this years Paris Roubaix we get a proper good old fashioned man against man race. Can't wait!Cyclingsbestfan28-03-2025
- What can you expect from a guy like that. Probably home now enjoying his pseudo fame before his evening session of paid sex chatting.Mistermaumau28-03-2025
- There is a lot of wisdom in some of our older people and some have the wisdom to use it wisely. Others not so much.......Cyclingsbestfan28-03-2025
- I loved De Vlaeminck back in the day, but I have to agree with him: he probably is a little burned out. I don't see him winning much this year.
Barney28-03-2025 - Tadej is 26 year old, Mr. Sour. And now, as you said, because the money, the cycling is extremely professionalized and competitive: winning is very hard, even for very talented riders.
maria2024202428-03-2025 - How many grand tours did Vlaeminck enter/finish let alone win? This article gives "old man yells at cloud" vibesPedalmasher28-03-2025
- I think Hinault is right: Pogacar is the first rider since he and Merckx who can win such a wide variety of races with such audacity and verve. I hope by the time he is done, Pog is widely acknowledged at the greatest of all time. Unlike Merckx and Hinault who were (probably necessarily in their era) pretty unpleasant characters, Pog is a cool, refreshingly humble guy who routinely thanks his teammates after they've taken their last bleedout pull for the day, gives bottles to little kids in the middle of a solo breakaway, walks around and congratulates his competitors at the finish, win or lose. There will always be those within the peloton and fanbase who resent his success, but he seems genuinely well-liked. He seems like the antidote to past other dominant champions who still inspire bitterness or disappointment. That said, Paris-Roubaix is a race that is both dangerous and requires a lot of specialized experience. I hope he stays upright.Barney28-03-2025