Cycling
Julian Alaphilippe withdraws from Milan-Sanremo
(Paris) Upset start to the season for Julian Alaphilippe: after disappointing results in the Strade Bianche and Tirreno-Adriatico, the double world champion must give up Milan-Sanremo, the first “monument” of the season on Saturday, due to a bronchitis.
“No Milan Sanremo for me on Saturday. Bronchitis “fever. Sad to leave the team, especially after a difficult week of racing on Tirreno-Adriatico where I felt the legs were coming back well despite my crash at Strade Bianche. Rest and patience on the program,” the 29-year-old French runner explained on social media on Wednesday.
Alaphilippe had made the “Primavera” (293 km), which he had won in 2019, one of his main objectives at the start of the season, disappointing so far for him.
The best climber of the Tour de France 2018 had certainly started the year 2022 with an encouraging second place in the Tour de la Provence in mid-February, behind the Colombian Nairo Quintana. “I’m super happy with my recovery. It was a great start,” he said.
The sequel was much less successful for him. Alaphilippe had finished in 25and position of the Ardèche Classic then at the 5and Place de la Drôme Classic.
Cabriole at the Strade Bianche
But the first Italian races smiled even less on him with first a 58and place in the general classification in the Strade Bianche where he had performed a spectacular cabriole, at the heart of a collective fall which had affected part of the peloton about a hundred kilometers from the finish.
This did not prevent him from continuing the race, just like the Slovenian Tadej Pogacar who, also caught in this maxi-fall, had despite everything signed an impressive victory in Tuscany.
If the double winner of the Tour de France had reoffended at Tirreno-Adriatico, the Frenchman had to settle for 33and place in the general classification in this stage race held in Italy.
Pogacar advances as the big favorite of the “Primavera” on Saturday.
Alaphilippe will miss this great classic for “the first time in six years”, underlined his team in a press release.
“Milan-Sanremo is a race that we love and we are always happy to participate in, but this year we know that the situation is not in our favor in the absence of Julian who, we hope, will recover quickly. “Explained the sports director of Quick-Step, Davide Bramati, quoted in the press release.
Without Alaphilippe, Quick-Step should revolve around Dutch sprinter Fabio Jakobsen, 25.
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Sophia Jhon is a sports journalist and author. He has worked as a news editor for Sportish and is now a sport columnist for the same publication. Alberta’s professional interests lie largely in sports news, with an emphasis on English football. He has also written articles on other sporting topics.