Julian Alaphilippe's 2020 Tour bluff is confirmed

Julian Alaphilippe’s apparent decline during the 2020 Tour was a deliberate cover for his pursuit of the world title at Imola. The Frenchman was not simply fading after losing the yellow jersey; he was preserving his strength for the road world championships held days after the Tour finished in Paris.

His race had started strongly. Alaphilippe won the second stage ahead of Marc Hirschi and Adam Yates to reclaim the leader’s jersey. Three stages later, however, a 20-second penalty for taking a bottle three kilometres beyond the permitted feeding limit cost him the yellow jersey. He responded by promising to move on from the setback.

Instead, he began managing his efforts with a longer plan in mind. Thomas Voeckler noticed Alaphilippe easing back from breakaways and appearing to struggle, while still showing signs that he was controlling the performance. The French team selector warned the French federation to prepare support for the move from the Tour to Imola.

During the Tour’s second rest day, Alaphilippe told Voeckler he wanted to switch his focus to Italy as soon as Paris was reached. An apartment had already been arranged there, and during a course inspection he identified the precise point where he intended to launch his decisive attack. The performance at the Tour was therefore a three-week deception before his successful world championship mission.