'It’s no longer fun'; An emotional Alaphilippe bids farewell to the Tour (and to cycling?)

We haven't seen much of Julian Alaphilippe at this Tour de France. The Frenchman from Tudor was, not long ago, one of the best cyclists in the world, but he just can’t seem to get it together anymore. After the 20th stage, emotions ran high for the two-time world champion, who said there that the end of his career is near.

Alaphilippe was part of an early breakaway twice more in this Tour. On the stage to Nevers, he was the first of the breakaway riders to get dropped, and on the stage to Belfort, he didn’t last long either. He was then swallowed up by the peloton and finished 124th. In the penultimate stage of the Tour, he still managed a respectable 29th place, his best result of the past three weeks. But there was no joy in it.

26 minutes behind winner Richard Carapaz, the Frenchman crossed the finish line alongside his compatriot Warren Barguil (Picnic PostNL). The two embraced each other even before they crossed the finish line. Speaking to Cyclingnews , Alaphilippe gave an emotional account of the race. “I was just sitting there with Warren Barguil. There were a lot of emotions. We’ve both suffered a lot in this Tour.”

Normally, the final stage would be a great opportunity for the puncheur, who finished 11th at the Olympics—when Montmartre was also part of the course. But Alaphilippe doesn’t want to think about it. “I’m not thinking about tomorrow. I’m not thinking about anything at all. All I want is to hold my son in my arms.”

Alaphilippe’s words are clear. “This might be my last Tour, so I made the most of it. I gave it my all—not with much success, but I gave it everything I had. That’s just how cycling is.” A moment later, he reinforced his words. “I feel very happy to finish this Tour. It’s definitely my last one. I can feel it.”

Barguil previously spoke out about the sport getting faster and faster. That’s a factor for Alaphilippe, too. “You can feel it, and you can see it. The speeds are insane, and so are the averages. It’s getting harder and harder to stay in the breakaway; more and more riders want to attack because there are fewer and fewer opportunities for us. Voilà.”

And so this could very well be the Tudor rider’s final year. His performance has dropped significantly this year, even though he won the GP Québec back in 2025. But a lot has changed. “It’s no longer fun. It’s okay—it’s over. It’s time to quit when it’s no longer fun.”