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Julian Alaphilippe has no illusions about Pogacar in Strade Bianche: "We don’t think about it"

Julian Alaphilippe has no illusions about Pogacar in Strade Bianche: "We don’t think about it"

Nick Doup

For Julian Alaphilippe, Strade Bianche is a race tailor-made for him. The Frenchman won the gravel classic in 2019 and finished second in Siena in 2021, and now that he has been climbing better since last year, expectations for Alaphilippe and the Tudor team are naturally high, right? "Oh, it's better not to expect anything from me," he says with a smile to Wielerflits.

"Now, of course, a crucial period begins for both the team and me, with Strade Bianche and San Remo," says the two-time world champion, who is focusing again this season on the hilly classics rather than the cobbled races. "later this spring, all the Ardennes classics will be important. From Strade to Liège, it matters."

So ahead of Strade Bianche, Alaphilippe lowers expectations. "But I am super motivated and I hope... I have done everything to start there with the best feeling I can have," he says. "I just don’t want to have any regrets. Strade is one of my favorite races and I’m really looking forward to returning there. I will do my best to ride the best possible race."

In 2023, Juju last crossed the finish line in Siena. What can he and Tudor achieve as a team against the strong squads like UAE Emirates XRG, with top favorite Tadej Pogačar and Isaac Del Toro? "To be honest and realistic: we don’t really think about that. We just focus on what we can do," says Alaphilippe. "And from my perspective, I just want to ride the best race I can and, of course, try to get the best possible result. I’m going to give it my all."

Illness ahead of season start
Alaphilippe’s preparation included the Volta ao Algarve, where he placed eighteenth on the first uphill finish and spent a long time in the breakaway during the tough final stage. "I felt really good there," he told us. "I was sick a few days before the race, so I was a bit disappointed about that, but otherwise my winter went very well. My preparation is on the right track and I felt myself getting better every day in the Algarve."