Julian Alaphilippe

The 2020 and 2021 road world champion was born June 11, 1992 in Saint-Amand-Montrond in central France. Initially Julian Alaphilippe made his mark in cyclo-cross as a junior, and then stepped into the WorldTour in 2014 with Omega Pharma-QuickStep and has remained with the team through its various naming sponsor variations since. He is signed with the team through to the end of 2024.

Alaphilippe took his first victory in his debut year, a stage of the Tour de l’Ain, and was already stepping onto Classics podiums by 2015. He rode his first Tour de France in 2016 and secured his first Grand Tour stage victory in 2017 on stage 8 of the Vuelta a España. Then in 2018 he broke through at the Classics as well, taking to the top step of the podium at La Flèche Wallonne and he won at Clasica Ciclista San Sebastian too. This was also the year he took his first, and then second, stage victory at the Tour de France and also rode into Paris in the polka dot jersey to claim the mountains classification. 

The success continued to build in a phenomenal 2019, with Strade Bianche, Milan-San Remo, a second La Flèche Wallonne and an exciting Tour de France that firmly embedded the rider in the hearts of the French public. He took two stage victories at the French Grand Tour, spent fourteen stages in yellow and finished fifth overall after a tenacious showing across the three weeks of racing.

The wins weren’t as plentiful in the pandemic-interrupted 2020 but Alaphilippe still won a Tour de France stage, spent three days in yellow and then later in the season secured the other most sought-after jersey in cycling, the rainbow jersey. After a well-calculated attack at the Road World Championships in Imola, Alaphilippe rode over the line solo. He then went on to keep the title for a second year as well, relentless attacking to deliver another solo victory in Belgium in 2021. In that year he also took a third Flèche Wallonne victory, another Tour de France stage and another day in yellow. Crashes, injury and COVID-19 however took their toll in 2022, with Alaphilippe’s rainbow reign ending at the Road World Championships in Wollongong, Australia.

2023 went somewhat better for the Frenchman, who started the year with a win in the ProSeries Faun-Ardèche Classic. However, his Classics campaign was derailed for the second year running, injuring his knee during the Tour of Flanders and not firing for the Ardennes Classic. He bounced back with a stage win in the Critérium du Dauphiné but it was his last victory of the season.

In 2024, Alaphilippe showed flashes of his old form, winning a stage of the Giro d'Italia and a stage and second overall at the Tour of Slovakia, a stage of the Czech Tour and second place in the Clasica San Sebastian. That would be his final season at QuickStep, however, with a move to Swiss ProTeam Tudor on a three-year deal coming for 2025. Alaphilippe began his season in Portugal at the Figueira Champions Classic and Volta ao Algarve before heading to Paris-Nice.

Key results

1st World Championships road race 2020, 2021

1st La Flèche Wallonne 2018, 2019, 2021

1st Milan San Remo 2019

1st Tour de France stages 10 & 16 2018 , 3 &13 2019, stage 2 2020, stage 1 2021

1st Tour de France King of Mountains classification 2018

1st Vuelta a España stage 8 2017

1st Strade Bianche 2019

1st Clasica Ciclista San Sebastian 2018

1st Tour of Britain 2018

1st Itzulia Basque Country stage 2 2022, stage 2 2019, stages 1 & 2 2018

1st Tirreno Adriatico stage 2 in 2021, stage 6 & 2 in 2019

1st Criterium de Dauphine stage 6 2019, stage 4 2018, stage 2 2023

1st Paris-Nice stage 4 2017

1st Tour of California 2016