Time is very much still on Julian Alaphilippe’s side, but 2018 could be a pivotal year in his career. The 25-year-old’s extraordinary talent and potential have been repeatedly evidenced over the course of his first four seasons as a professional cyclist but, after a string of podium placings in major races, he’s keen to banish the nascent ‘nearly-man’ tag before it really sets in.
The Quick-Step Floors rider burst onto the scene at the Ardennes Classics in 2015 with runner-up finishes at La Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and he was second again at Flèche the following year. In 2017, he finished third at Milan-San Remo and second at Il Lombardia, which has led to questioning in France as to why he hasn’t yet claimed that first major scalp.
“The second places and the podiums that I’ve had in the big races, they’re not necessarily disappointments. I’ve learned a lot from those failures, even if they’re not really failures – they’re still great performances of which I’m proud,” Alaphilippe said when asked about it in a group interview at Quick-Step Floor’s recent training camp in Calpe.
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“But I’m someone who likes to win, who needs to win, so those moments, I want to turn them in to success right away."
As for pinpointing the difference between defeat and victory, he said he couldn't put his finger on a specific example. "It’s just an accumulation of lots of small things. Nowadays, victories come down to fine margins. It’s experience, it’s strength, it can be anything. There are so many parameters that come into play. I know my character and I know that looking at my energy and efforts in the race can only help me. I know I’m getting better and better."
The two Monument podiums in 2017 amount to what Alaphilippe describes as the best season of his career so far. Add in a maiden Grand Tour stage win at the Vuelta a España, a stage and fifth overall at Paris-Nice, and a close grab for the rainbow jersey at the World Championships, and it’s difficult to argue.
'There are many things I want to achieve in the future'
Leadership and status
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