'Don't expect to see me back' – Alaphilippe is racing his last Tour de France
Blink and you'd miss it – amid the post-stage mayhem atop Alpe d'Huez after stage 20, Julian Alaphilippe had a quiet word with Eurosport, and indicated that this Tour de France may just be his last.
"Nothing is official, but don’t expect to see me back,” Alaphilippe told Eurosport after finishing stage 20 alongside Warren Barguil (Picnic-PostNL).
Alaphilippe's stage 20 finish was one of the better results of his Tour, during which breakaways were his sole objective. However with 29th at Alpe d'Huez, 26 minutes after stage winner Richard Carapaz, it was still a fairly quiet showing for the man who defined a generation of French cycling.
Moments after delivering this strongly suggestive soundbite, he elaborated a little: "I’m not thinking about tomorrow. I’m thinking about nothing at all. All I really want is to hold my son in my arms,” Alaphilippe told Cyclingnews among others. Before adding, with finality, "I feel happy to finish this Tour, it’s certainly my last one."
The 34-year-old still has a contract with Tudor Pro Cycling until the close of 2027, but Saturday afternoon's quotes indicate he is considering an early transition into his next chapter.
