Two-time world champion Julian Alaphilippe was on African soil this week and 'motivated' by several factors to lead the eight-rider French team in the elite men's road race on Sunday in Kigali. He used the two weeks after winning Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec until the UCI Road World Championships to recover from an illness and adjust to the higher elevation and heat in Rwanda.
The 33-year-old veteran began the year with an adjustment to a new team, departing the QuickStep programme after 11 years at the WorldTour level and moving to the ProTeam level with Tudor Pro Cycling. He put 61 race days in his legs before the win in Québec, building confidence for a 10th appearance in the elite road race.
"It's a victory that really comes at the right time. It also confirms that the shape came back well, and that's a good sign. And it was an important victory for me because it was my first year in my new team and these are races that are difficult to win," Alaphilippe told media, including Cyclingnews, at a press conference Thursday.
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"So to be able to raise my arms, yeah, it feels good. I had already raised them at the Tour but it's not the same. There, I was on the podium and everything, it's nicer [to win]."
He laughed at the reference to the first time he raised his arms, thinking he had won stage 15 in Carcassonne at the Tour de France, when two other riders ahead had already crossed the finish line. He then finished third overall at Tour of Britain Men and won in Québec. But the momentum was halted when he could not finish the one-day UCI race in Montréal due to illness.
"I got sick again after Quebec, which is why I dropped out of Montreal. The days that followed weren't easy; I struggled to recover, especially with the jet lag.
"There were days when I couldn't do anything, but I worked hard in the end. I called Thomas [Voeckler, French national team coach] to let him know and keep him informed of the situation. In the middle of last week, I called Thomas to tell him: if things don't improve in a day or two, we should consider changing the plan. I took my time, and things got better.
"It was a bit tense until the weekend. I was happy to come here, and things are getting better and better. So, I'm very happy and motivated," he explained in detail to L'Equipe.
After back-to-back victories for rainbow stripes in 2020 and 2021, Alaphilippe has had nothing but disappointments since, finishing outside the top 50 in Wollongong and then not finishing at all the last two seasons. The national coach weighed character and leadership more than results to determine if Alaphilippe should be on the roster again.
"Julian Alaphilippe is the soul of this team. His second half of the season is off to a great start, and physically he completely deserves his place, not [just because] the last two weeks, but since this winter. I felt that it was perhaps the right time," Voekler told media at the same press conference.
"I had this desire for a change. That word is too strong - a generational transition," he corrected himself about describing the seven riders on the elite men's team.
"There is a state of mind that has been established and that is present in the French team. There are a few veterans who are guarantees. The young people who are arriving have generally gone through the youth categories, so they know this spirit. But for it to happen naturally, there is no instruction manual.
"Our championship has, for the staff, started not five days ago, not five months ago, but more than a year ago. And there you go."
Voekler was confident with Alaphilippe as team leader and has veterans Julien Bernard, Valentin Madouas and Pavel Sivakov on board as well. He was excited to have emerging young talents on the squad, Tour de l'Avenir GC winner Paul Seixas,
Louis Barré, Jordan Jegat and Valentin Paret-Peintre 24, who won the Mont Ventoux stage at this year's Tour.
Acclimating to long distance, high elevation, humidity
As for climate, with a hefty dose of heat and humidity, and geography, a climbing-heavy course that begins at 1,500 metres above sea level, Voeckler said the team would adapt, as many of them have had time to adjust for several days already.
"I haven't felt at all that they were suffering like those in the time trial. You still have to remember that 1,500 metres is not three millimeters either. They know how to adapt," he said.
"When you're racing in Europe at this time of year, you can have surprises, both good and bad, depending on your own feelings. We'll adapt everyone's roles on race day and I'm not worried about that."
Seixas arrived last Tuesday and was part of the mixed relay TTT where he was part of the silver medal performance by France on his 19th birthday. Seixas said the numbers related to the race would add up to making the race extremely difficult, not just the distance, elevation gain, but the altitude of region and weather.
"There are simply the numbers and they don't lie. Numbers don't lie," he emphasised about the 267.5km race and 5,400 metres of elevation gain.
"I've been adapting for a while now and I feel like, frankly, it's getting better and better as the days go by. The heat is OK, but the humidity reinforces the feeling of heat, and that's it.
"In addition to the heat, humidity, and attitude, there are definitely factors that are more complicated to manage than in Europe. So it's definitely going to be impacting things.
"For me, it's going to be a new experience. Let's say the longest distance I've done this year. So, I think Thomas [Voeckler] will soon explain our roles to us, and I'm happy to be able to be here and to be part of the team. And then we'll see how the distance goes. But in any case, it's going to be very tough."
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