Who Is? 02.07.2016: The 103rd Tour de France started today, Saturday. A young Frenchman was also nominated by the Etixx-Quick Step team for the nine-man squad, and he is one of the extended favorites for tomorrow's second stage. Julian Alaphilippe is just 24 years old but has already had some very respectable results this season and is considered an absolute huge talent.
Name | Julian Alaphilippe | |
Birthday | June 11, 1992 | |
Place of Birth | Saint-Amand-Montrond | |
Nationality | France | |
Size | 173 cm | |
Weight | 62 kg | |
Current team | Etixx Quick Step | |
Active as an amateur | since 2011 | |
Active as a professional | since 2014 | |
Greatest successes | Second Flèche Wallonne 2015 and 2016 Second Liège-Bastogne-Liège 2015 Winner Tour of California 2016 |
Julian Alaphilippe and the start of his career in cyclocross
Many professional cyclists owe the start of their careers to track cycling or mountain biking. It's different with Julian Alaphilippe. The Frenchman began his cycling career in cyclecross and was quite successful there. In the 2009/10 season he won the Junior World Cup race in Heusden-Zolder and finished second at the Junior World Championships. At the latest when he became French champion in 2012 and 2013, won a World Cup race in Rome and was able to celebrate third place at the U23 European Championships, several professional cycling teams took notice of him.
Quick-Step secured the services of Julian Alaphilippe
In 2013 Julian Alaphilippe got the chance to prove himself in road cycling for the first time. The UCI Continental Team Etixx-iHNed, the farm team of the professional team Quick Step, secured the up-and-coming Frenchman. By winning stages in several tours, including the Thuringia Tour, the Tour de l'Avenir and the Tour de Bretagne, he proved his extensive potential and was committed to the UCI World Tour by the Omega Pharma-Quick-Step team. He promptly won not only another stage at the Tour de l'Ain, but also the youngsters and the points classification. In 2015 he won a stage and the junior classification of the Tour of California. However, he already had his breakthrough in spring at the Ardennes classics. He finished second at the Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège - and that at the age of only 22.
The first Tour de France with Julian Alaphilippe in 2016
In 2016, Julian Alaphilippe confirmed his good abilities in several races. He finished sixth in the Amstel Gold Race and second again in the Flèche Wallonne. He also won the Tour of California and finished sixth overall at the Critérium du Dauphiné. Now he is at the start of the Tour de France for the first time, where he is one of the favorites to win the day on the second stage. On today's first stage he was already 14th. It is not known whether Julian Alaphilippe was only nominated as a helper for Marcel Kittel, or whether he is allowed to compete in the overall classification or win a few days on hilly terrain. However, it seems certain that the young Frenchman has an enormous amount of talent and will be able to celebrate a few more big victories in the future.
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