Julian Alaphilippe could be without his coach and cousin Franck Alaphilippe for the first time since 2019 with the Soudal-QuickStep trainer not renewed for 2024 amid tensions between the two-time World Champion and team boss Patrick Lefevere.
Lefevere has been very vocal in his criticism of Alaphilippe in recent years especially after a hellish, injury-filled 2022 season that saw his performance levels drop. Alongside this and the complicated issues of the failed merger with Jumbo-Visma, it didn't come as much of a surprise to Franck Alaphilippe that he was leaving the team.
The 57-year-old spoke to CyclismActu after revealing he would no longer be a team member for the coming season to Le Berry. Lefevere discussed with Franck Alaphilippe that he would be released at the end of October, four years after joining the team.
“I kind of saw it coming. There was already a first signal with everything that happened around the merger between Jumbo-Visma and Soudal Quick-Step,” said Franck Alaphilippe.
“As my contract expired, I found myself in a difficult situation. When the merger didn't go through, I was still not sure, but I dared to hope.
“After the merger issues, there were tensions between Patrick Lefevere and Julian, which again made my situation a bit uncertain. So I wasn't really surprised when I heard that I couldn't stay.”
Franck Alaphilippe is adamant that he still wants to work with his cousin from an external role, but is unsure of the possibility given he is now outside the team.
“I am his coach until the end of December, and for the future, there are currently discussions with the team and with Julian,” he said. “What is certain is that I will never let him down. I have already spoken with a sports director of the team and he thinks that the best solution for Julian is for me to continue training him.
“Given the contacts I have had, imposing another trainer on Julian does not seem to be the path that Soudal Quick-Step wants to take regarding Julian, but I do not yet know what will happen on January 1st.
“I have always trained Julian, I know him by heart, I know when he is going well and when he is not going well. I imagine he wants to continue with me, but the goal is for him to be as good as possible. What is certain in any case, and I have already spoken about it with Julian, is that I will not be his second trainer. You only need one coach.”
Julian Alaphilippe is contracted with Soudal-QuickStep until the end of 2024, however, his long-term future is less secure as Lefevere continues working to build a project around star rider Remco Evenepoel.
He’s already in Calpe as he begins training for the 2024 season which he’ll kick off at the Tour Down Under in January according to L’Equipe, with the Tour of Flanders set as his big goal for the early season.
The former World Champion hasn’t been at his best in recent years with a series of significant injuries stunting his progress to return to the top form that saw him win stages of the tour and successfully defend his rainbow jersey in 2021.
“It's always difficult, but you have to put things into perspective because, in a high-level sporting career, there are always problems. Physically and mentally, it was a complicated time for Julian, with all his crashes and illnesses,” said Franck of his cousin’s recent seasons.
“His 2022 season was so catastrophic that he was never able to finish a training cycle, a preparation cycle, something went wrong every time. He was therefore never able to build himself and establish something stable and regular.
“When you lose a year and a half, you can't make up for that in six months, it's impossible. So I clearly explained to Julian that it was going to be long and that he was going to have ups and downs in 2023. His season confirmed more or less what I imagined.”
There was little success for Alaphilippe with only two wins to his name in 2023 with a stage win at the Critérium du Dauphiné and a victory at Faun-Ardèche Classic.
Franck Alaphilippe doesn’t believe it was his own coaching that has seen Julian Alaphilippe not rise to pre-2022 levels, but that the compounded bad luck had the biggest impact.
“We can ask ourselves questions if the athlete is 100%, but this was not the case and we know why. So no, personally, I didn't question myself,” he said. “He still hopes and believes that he can become the great Julian Alaphilippe again, which is a pretty big deal.
“He is motivated, he gives himself the means and he does everything for it. Julian has always ridden his bike to win races, so winning little or nothing doesn't suit him. Afterwards, we will see if he manages to regain his best level, the future will tell us.”
