“When I saw João Almeida pass me, I was gutted!" - Julian Alaphilippe loses podium at Tour de Suisse with disappointing final time trial

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.