He took the plane on September 18 in the evening, heading for Australia and Wollongong where the World Championship is taking place this Sunday September 25 (departure at 2:15 a.m., arrival around 8:50 a.m. French time).
At the end of an "annus horribilis", between falls, non-selection for the Tour, Covid, abandonment on the Vuelta, Julian Alaphilippe will be at the start on the south-east coast of Australia to defend his rainbow jersey. sky.
He is certainly not the favorite ― the Belgians Wout van Aert and Remco Evenepoel are much more so ― but the Frenchman will do everything to try for the pass of three.
So that he still has a good memory of this year 2022, as he confided live from Australia this Wednesday, September 21 during an interview with some French media including Le Parisien - Today in France .
How do you feel ?
JULIAN ALAPHILIPPE.
I'm ok thanks.
First of all, I'm very happy to be in Australia.
I have a lot of motivation and I'm pretty relaxed.
It is sure that I do not arrive in the best conditions.
The last time I raced on a bike
(on the Vuelta)
, I got injured once again, once too often.
But I'm happy to have found the guys, the friends.
I am ready to fight to keep the jersey in the France team.
Read alsoThomas Voeckler: “Alaphilippe does not come to the Worlds just to show off his jersey”
The strength of the France team this time does not rest solely on your shoulders.
Does it suit you?
Sure.
Firstly because I have no choice.
I would have preferred to arrive there in other circumstances having finished the Vuelta.
Not hurting myself one more time would have been nice too.
Fortunately, we all have different profiles in the team that correspond to this race.
We are not the big favorites but we can make the race even harder to weigh in the final.
We're going to play for the shirt, that's for sure and I'll be very, very happy if we win it even if it's not me.
Do you still feel like the leader of the France team?
I'm not the sole leader and that's fine with me.
We have riders who have performed much better in recent weeks than me and for whom the circuit will correspond well.
I will be very happy to give my all for them too.
The France team is first of all a collective and we will give the maximum for each other.
This is what will win one of us, I hope.
Benoît Cosnefroy replaces Rémi Cavagna on Sunday's men's elite online race 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/thySeuejuv
– FFC (@FFCyclisme) September 21, 2022
What level of fitness are you at?
Thomas
(Voeckler, coach)
knows I'm not 100%.
I don't consider myself 100% either.
But I want to hurt myself, to give the best of myself.
Leaving the Vuelta was not easy, with an injury it was even harder… Fortunately, I did well.
I only stayed a few days off the bike and my form returned.
Thomas says that I won't be rotten in the race either, but it's sure that I won't arrive with the same guarantees as in previous years.
I nevertheless think that I am well, anyway, and that I will be able to influence the race to play a role.
“I will be very, very, very happy if we experience the same emotions as in 2020 and 2021 even if it is not me who wins.
I might even be happier if a colleague wins the jersey.
»
Julian Alaphilippe
Are you apprehensive about falls?
Yes and no.
You don't have to start being afraid otherwise you start braking and backing up in the peloton and then it's over.
I don't hide the fact that when it's going fast and you don't go far from a fall, I'm maybe a little more scared than before because I don't want to take one back.
Even if the last one on the Vuelta wasn't too violent, it really bothered me…
With two world titles to your name already, is the pressure different today?
Pressure ?
I don't feel it at all.
I had it at Imola in 2020. Last year I was ready to win, I raced to win but I was ready to lose too.
That's what explained my way of running.
A year ago, I had zero pressure and I have even less today.
I know where I come from and that it's the head that will make the difference for me, more than the legs.
I have no pressure but the desire to do well to tell myself that on Sunday I would have given everything.
What inspires you about the course in Wollongong?
Very wearisome!
We're going to climb a bump that looks harder than on paper.
We'll see if teams put a tempo so that it starts as late as possible.
If, on the other hand, the race gets tough very early, like a year ago, the race will be very, very tough.
Isn't your main source of motivation to win to have at least one good memory of 2022?
Having a good memory of 2022 will not be difficult with all that I have experienced before.
Being at the start of this World Championship will already remain one, that's for sure.
I'm happy to be here because it's so special to wear the France team jersey with all my friends.
I want to make the most of those moments.
I will be very, very, very happy if we experience the same emotions as in 2020 and 2021 even if it is not me who wins.
I might even be happier if a colleague wins the jersey.
"When you've tasted the world champion jersey which is so huge, iconic, you can't say no to it.
If I can have it a third time, I'm not going to leave it," says Julian Alaphilippe Icon Sport / Sirotti
Wearing the rainbow jersey identifies you in the peloton: don't you also want to get rid of it?
Lately, I've been torn by two feelings.
I said to myself, look forward to next year that I no longer have the jersey and that I can become a “normal runner” again less stressed and more relaxed.
On the other hand, when you've tasted the jersey which is so huge, iconic, you can't say no to it.
If I can have it a third time, I'm not going to let it.
Of course not, even if it asks a lot.
This Sunday, whatever happens, will you be happy?
Sunday night and next week, whether I have the jersey for the third time or no longer have it, I will be happy to have experienced what I experienced with him.
These last two years have marked my career and my life.
Believe me, I will also be very happy to become the rider I was before becoming world champion.
“It was the year of resilience, I fought each time to come back and I am there with my friends.
Now I enjoy every second, every kilometer.
»
Julian Alaphilippe
Did your serious fall in Liège-Bastogne-Liège make you put things into perspective?
Sure.
It was my little family and my little boy who did me a lot of good to get through these very hard times.
Several times, I wanted to put the bike in the garage to come back in 2023. It was the year of resilience, I fought every time to come back and I'm there with my friends.
Now I enjoy every second, every kilometer.
How will you feel if your teammate at Quick Step Remco Evenepoel is crowned this Sunday?
I have good relations with Remco.
I will be happy for him if he becomes world champion as he will also be for me if I remain one.
I gave everything I had to help him win the Vuelta with great pleasure but there is no question here of working for each other.
I will give the same energy as in the Tour of Spain but for my friends from the France team, so that one of us is world champion.
