“When I saw João Almeida pass me, I was gutted!" - Julian Alaphilippe loses podium at Tour de Suisse with disappointing final time trial
Cycling
Julian Alaphilippe produced his most impressive performance of the season at the Tour de Suisse, and arguably his best display since his memorable triumph at the 2024 Giro d’Italia. The Frenchman’s form has provided a timely injection of confidence ahead of his biggest target of the year: the Tour de France.
Now riding for the Tudor Pro Cycling Team, Alaphilippe animated the race throughout and entered the final time trial in a strong third place overall. However, he was unable to defend his podium spot on the decisive stage, ultimately slipping to fifth in the general classification – a result that left him with mixed feelings.
“It was really tough,” Alaphilippe told A Bola in a post-stage interview. “You have to be on a great day to deliver a strong time trial, and I had a bad feeling right from the start. I could sense immediately that it was going to be a struggle. Of course, I’m a bit disappointed – I would have loved to finish on the podium – but I’m satisfied with what I showed this week. We raced aggressively, and we tried to win a stage.”
The former world champion lost 3 minutes and 49 seconds to stage winner João Almeida, who overtook Alaphilippe in the final two kilometres of the course. “When I saw João Almeida pass me, I was gutted! But that’s the sport,” he added with a wry smile.
Alaphilippe also shared a few words on his fellow Frenchman Kevin Vauquelin, who had revealed at the finish that “Loulou” was his childhood idol when he began cycling. “Kevin Vauquelin? I was really hoping he could win,” said Alaphilippe. “But when I saw how strong Almeida was riding, I knew it was going to be difficult for him.”
Despite narrowly missing out on the podium, Alaphilippe’s lively racing and signs of top form suggest he could be a serious factor at the Tour de France – and perhaps even a stage winner once again.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
claps 5visitors 5
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- Pidcock finished 9th place, 29 minutes down. he is a helluva rider, so gutsy. and he is amazing at all disciplines. but this headline is . . .mij09-11-2026
- I know, watch the video. and listen to her competitors. it was a tricky tacky call at best. WTF is this guy talking about??? my original comment was from the picture it didn't look like anything.mij09-11-2026
- I dunno what you're talking about. you make no sense. MS's competitor and the competitors coach said it was BS. she didn't deviate in a way that relegation should be required. revel LOL. you're so cool, in your own mind.mij09-11-2026
- deviation lol, watch the videomij09-11-2026
- the 'No different than women who follow and discuss celebs through gossip magazines' comment was unfortunately a bit off. didn't you just boast about your principles in the comments section of another article?Ketterechts08-11-2026
- Are you MrMauMau 2.0? Nothing you are saying is really relevant. Vaguely connected, but irrelevant. The conversation is whether Schreiber impeded Brand or not.
Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - He is boring
leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Uwielbiam patrzeć, jak wyjeżdża na czoło peletonu i zaczyna się rzeź...Dariusz08-11-2026
- Yeah, unreal.
parisbound0008-11-2026
Loading
Write a comment