Competing this Wednesday in A Travers la Flandre, in the final phase of preparation for the Tour of Flanders this Sunday, Julian Alaphilippe, in a long interview with L'Equipe, affirmed his impatience to return to the heights and his current difficulties (sick, he could not finish the E3 Grand Prix).
Regarding his form, the Frenchman assures us:
“I haven't had the opportunity to test myself thoroughly this season.
The only time I was able to do it was the Tirreno-Adriatico stage where I finished 2nd behind (Primoz)
Roglic.
That day, I didn't calculate my efforts too much and I still had some left over at the end.
It made me super optimistic for the future.
On Milan-San Remo, I had great legs, but hey: bad timing, bad positioning,
e
)
…” He who, from afar, had to watch the trio Van der Poel, Van Aert, Pogacar fly away:
“They are at an exceptional level.
They are above the rest at the moment.
»
At the time of biting with appetite into the Flanders classics, the leader of the Soudal-Quick Step team, less conquering than in the past, admits: “
I like these aggressive races.
They suit me less than the Ardennes, but I prefer them.
For me, it's an incredible challenge.
»
This Sunday, during the "Round", Julian Alaphilippe hopes, like Tadej Pogacar, to be able to compete on the field of specialists.
Pogacar, a special case: “
I do not pretend to compare myself to Pogacar.
Until then, he has been a lot more active than me in this type of event: I just try to do the best race possible, that's all.
I know who the favorites are, I try to stay with them as long as possible.
But on a pure sprint, I know I'll never be the fastest.
And given what Pogacar is capable of doing in Old Kwaremont or in any other mountain, I would really have to be in a very big day to be able to follow it.
He changes the situation.
Not me.
»
/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/prisa/EO23V63XUMXM7GSS2HMOV64KQA.JPG)
