With the 2026 Tour de France as his final bow, Julian Alaphilippe has decided call time on his career. The Frenchman can proudly be regarded as the link between the “old” generation of riders and the new era of superstars, competing—and shining—against both with unmistakable class. He won often against the old guard, but also managed to adapt to the arrival of riders such as Tadej Pogačar and Mathieu van der Poel, becoming an even more spectacular and unpredictable rider than he had been in the early years of his career.
His palmares speaks for itself: 2 consecutive World Championships, one in Imola and one in Leuven, a Milano-Sanremo, a Strade Bianche, 3 Freccia Vallone, 6 stages at the Tour de France and one at the Giro d’Italia, for a total of 45 professional victories. And yet, defining Alaphilippe by the number of races he won would hardly do him justice. He was a rider capable of stirring emotions even when victory eluded him, even when he came up against objectively stronger opponents. Because, ultimately, that never seemed to matter too much to Alaphilippe: what mattered was reaching the finish line with no regrets. And he did so time and again, particularly in the colours of Quick-Step’s Wolfpack.
One of his last great exploits came at the 2024 Giro d’Italia: a 136-km breakaway, up and down the walls of the Marche region, followed by a solo ride to the finish in Fano. A single participation in the Corsa Rosa, but one he honoured in unforgettable style.
In Italy, however, he will always be remembered for his sprint to victory on Via Roma in Sanremo, which came just days after his blow struck on the wall of Via Santa Caterina at Strade Bianche. Not to mention his hat-trick of stages at Tirreno Adriatico, Pomarance and Jesi in 2019, and Chiusdino in 2021, where he finished ahead of Van der Poel, Van Aert and Pogačar.
“I gave everything I had, and cycling gave me everything in return,” said Alaphilippe. “That’s why I can say it with a smile: I’m stopping. Not with sadness, but immense gratitude. To all the fans who carried me up every climb: thank you. Thank you for everything. I’m retiring now because it’s the right moment to do it. I’ve always raced on instinct, attacking when my legs were on fire, not when the numbers told me to. I made this decision the same way. I woke up one morning at training camp and I just felt it: this is my last year. No sadness.”
What else can we say… Merci LouLou! The peloton won’t be the same without you.
