of a shoulder disabled after a fall to a false joy on the finish line … The “a little crazy day” by Julian Alaphilippe

He went through all the emotions. Julian Alaphilippe experienced a 15th animated stage between Muret and Carcasonne, Sunday July 20, on the road to the Tour de France. Fallen shortly after the start, the Frenchman of Tudor Pro Cycling first believed to abandon, to finally succeed in starting again. “It was a little crazy day, I was caught in a fall. I dislodged my shoulder and I felt that it was going to be complicatedexplained the double world champion in Vélo Club on France 2 at the end of the afternoon. I remembered how they do in the hospital so I managed to put it back, it made a big key “.

“To be honest, the thirty seconds that followed the fall … I thought it was finished for me because I know the pain and it put me a morale”he added, marked on arrival. To reintegrate the peloton, “Alaf” had to produce a big effort similar to a “Cripers”. But the tricolor runner did not stop there, since he then went to the attack in order to try to weigh on the final of the stage.

Behind the Belgians Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates XRG) and Victor Campenaerts (Visma-Lease A Bike), released alone in front of his group, he even sprouted to get ahead of Wout Van Aert (Visma-Lease A Bike) and his compatriot Axel Laurance (ineos grenadiers) on the line. Thinking he won, Julian Alaphilippe celebrated with Rage before realizing his error.

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“Unfortunately my radio did not work after the fall so I tried to do the best sprint possible by thinking of the stage victory. But like an idiot, I raised my hands, when there were guys in front. It could have ended better but I could have returned home too so it goes”tried to put into perspective the one who had raised his arms too early, letting Primoz Roglic blow him the victory over Liège-Bastogne-Liège 2020.

One thing is certain, the day of rest on Monday in Montpellier will do him the greatest good, after feeling pain because of his shoulder when digging in his rear pockets. “I feel better and better so I hope to compensate for this start of the round, which was very fast and using. There are still a few opportunities, not much, but we have shown beautiful things and I am motivated to Paris”he said, conceding that he expected complicated days after this fall. As a reminder, Julian Alaphilippe's last victory over the Grande Boucle dates back four years.