He had started 2024 great and especially in good spirits. The preparation was going well, the results in the Tour Down Under were pretty okay. Eager to emerge from the shadows where he’d lingered the past two seasons, Alaphilippe aimed to reclaim his spot at the forefront of the cycling elite. He was determined to fight for monumental victories and wins against the best cyclists in the world on his favored terrain. This was Alaphilippe’s ambition. However, his aspirations hit a snag at the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. A missed breakaway. A fall. A lost opportunity. Now, Loulou has to mount a physical comeback. And that while the world does not make it easy for him to recover at his own pace.
The past week was a vivid summary of the situation Alaphilippe is now in. Exaggerated rumors swirling around the Frenchman’s personal life and behavior sparked a real scandal in Belgium. Statements by his boss Patrick Lefevere turned out to be taken out of context, as the team manager of Soudal-Quick-Step later explained. The timing of the revelation was not very fortunate, just before the season’s opening weekend. Then things also went wrong on the road. Alaphilippe started with good form and high morale, then, misfortune struck on the road: in good shape and with strong morale, Alaphilippe, along with his teammate Kasper Asgreen, crashed mere kilometers before the finish line. Enough reasons for the first media criticisms to flare up again.
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