12 months on from his second place in his debut in Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Julian Alaphilippe (Etixx-QuickStep) is deeply satisfied, he says, with the race’s new tougher finale and he’s also looking forward to being a protected rider, together with Dan Martin, from the start of the race - unlike in 2015.
Last year Alaphilippe was initally racing in Liège-Bastogne-Liège specifically to work for then-teammate Michal Kwiatkowski after the Pole had won Amstel Gold. But after Kwiatkowski faded in the closing kilometres, Alaphilippe, having taken second in La Flèche Wallonne, was allowed to fight for his own success.
To say the Frenchman duly impressed would be an understatement, taking second place behind Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) for his second podium in an Ardennes Classics in five days.
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Quite apart from having used up a lot of energy working for Kwiatkowski before he could race for himself, what made Alaphilippe’s result even more impressive was that the 22-year-old had had other factors playing against him too.
As a second year pro, there was his lack of experience in racing in top one-day Classics. Alaphilippe had also been caught up in the first of two big crashes just before the Côte de la Redoute and had had to chase hard to get back on.
Then as Etixx-Quick Step’s sole rider in the finale, Alaphilippe shrugged off any sense of pressure and rather than being satisfied with his second place at the line, he banged the handlebars in frustration at edging out Joaquim Rodriguez only to come second to Valverde - a result many other pros, particularly one who was just 22 like Alaphilippe at the time, would have viewed as hugely successful.
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