Julian Alaphilippe incertain sur son avenir : "Je ne sais pas où je serai l'année prochaine"

Julian Alaphilippe, the double world champion in road cycling, has spoken about his approach to his career, indicating that he takes each season as if it were his last. In a recent press conference during the Tour Down Under, Alaphilippe made it clear that he does not plan too far ahead and focuses on the present.

Alaphilippe’s comments came as he enters the final year of his contract with his current team, Soudal-Quick-Step. However, he emphasized that this does not affect his mindset or motivation. « I never think, ‘Damn, it’s the year of my contract’ or ‘Last year, I won a lot of races, this year I don’t care,' » Alaphilippe stated. « Every new season, I start the winter as if I haven’t won anything before. I always think like that, and to be honest, I don’t know where I will be next year, whether I will continue, whether I will continue with the team, whether I will continue cycling, I don’t know… »

This approach of living in the moment seems to be working well for Alaphilippe, as he expressed satisfaction with his performance at the Tour Down Under. He finished in sixth place overall, just 33 seconds behind the winner, Stephen Williams of Israel Premier Tech. Alaphilippe notably achieved a fourth-place finish on the challenging Willunga Hill stage. Reflecting on this, he said, « A year ago, in this situation, I immediately felt that I couldn’t win, and I would attack or make two or three big efforts, then explode and fall. I used to destroy myself. On Willunga Hill, I was in the mood to fight, to go into the red zone, and try to stay there. »

Alaphilippe also discussed his evolving mindset and how he has learned to manage his physical and mental energy better. « I never lost my spirit, but physically I couldn’t do it, » he admitted. « When I felt that I couldn’t win, I spent a lot of time and effort killing myself because it wasn’t fun for me. Now, I feel that physically I’m doing my best to get back to my top level, and that’s the first big step for me. After that, I’ll think about victory, but (on Willunga Hill) I was back on track, you know, to fight for the win with a good feeling. »

Looking ahead, Alaphilippe has set his sights on several goals for the season, including the Flanders classics, his debut at the Giro d’Italia, and the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where he hopes to be selected. He singled out the Tour of Flanders as a highlight of the year, which also coincides with the end of his contract with Soudal-Quick-Step.