Alaphilippe heads to Paris with high morale after stage win, end winner Hirschi also heading to Olympics as replacement

After a fierce attack, a beautiful descent, and a strong finish, he secured a great victory heading into the Olympic Games in Paris. Julian Alaphilippe clinched the stage win in the Tour of Czechia. He claims to be ready to shine in his home country next Saturday in the road race. The overall winner in Czechia, Marc Hirschi, will also make his appearance in Paris.

The victory was achieved after a fine display of team effort, much like what we have come to expect from the Soudal-Quick-Step team. Among others, Kasper Asgreen sacrificed himself for his leader, who had not shown much in Czechia up to that point. However, the final was very convincing. Thus, Loulou was able to prepare well for the road race, having not ridden the Tour de France.

Alaphilippe sets sights on Olympic road race

Afterwards, he was upbeat on the team’s website. "I’m very happy with this stage win, which wouldn’t have been possible without the fantastic work of my teammates, who controlled the stage and brought me to the final laps where I needed to be. The circuit, with its cobbles and descent, was tough and demanding, but I enjoyed it," he said about his day.

He also looked ahead to the Olympic Games. Missing the Tour, it’s a wonderful opportunity for a Frenchman to shine in front of his home crowd in Paris. "I felt good today and did my best, so I’m obviously pleased with this success. It’s great for morale before I head to Paris," said the springy rider, who we can certainly count among the shadow favorites in this form. Paris features a beautiful course where the small peloton will repeatedly tackle a steep cobbled climb.

Hirschi unexpectedly arrives in Paris in top form

Marc Hirschi finished second, but he wasn’t really focused on that after the race. The Swiss rider from UAE Team Emirates actually took the overall victory. On his team’s website, he expressed his joy. "I’m so happy to win here. The team rode very well all week, and we showed how strong we are, with Diego (Ulissi) also on the podium. Today was a tough final stage, and I knew I had to follow all the dangerous attacks and try to keep everything under control for the overall classification. Alaphilippe sprinted smartly, so hats off to him. The form is very good, and I hope to carry it into the remaining goals of the year."

A few hours after the stage race, it was also announced that Hirschi will replace his compatriot Stefan Bissegger in the Olympic road race (Saturday, August 3). Bissegger has been suffering from back pain since the time trial on Saturday. Hirschi will form a pair with Stefan Küng in the road race in Paris.