Julian Alaphilippe shares telling one-liner on Instagram after rare win over Pogacar

The victory came after Tudor took control in the first half of the race. Alaphilippe opened the ball about 80 kilometers from the finish, after which he joined a nice group of outsiders. The big favorites - in particular Tadej Pogacar - came close, but never close enough. Of the remaining breakaway riders, the Frenchman proved to be the strongest.

It was his first WorldTour victory in a one-day race since the 2021 World Championships, but perhaps more importantly, the victory ensured that Alaphilippe won at least once for the twelfth (!) season in a row. That winning streak began in 2024 in the Tour de l'Ain and, in his twelfth year as a rider at the highest level, also earned him his 45th victory.

That victory was obviously a relief, because Alaphilippe had not yet won since his much-discussed transfer from Soudal-Quick Step to Tudor. He had come close a few times, but on Friday, he finally succeeded in Québec. “I need a moment to process this. I've always dreamed of winning this race,” said Alaphilippe in the flash interview.

“To do it this way, also for my team that worked all day for it,” LouLou continued jubilantly. Because the victory was not stolen, Alaphilippe attacked early and was simply the strongest in the group that dared to race. “It's also my first stage victory since last year's Giro. I am very, very happy with this victory.”

On social media, Alaphilippe naturally shared a victory post, which he opened with a telling one-liner: “Old cycling is not finished,” he wrote. Because if anyone in the current peloton has the grit, determination, and daring of the old peloton, it's Alaphilippe. Keep attacking, and the reward will come naturally. “I'll remember this one,” he also wrote.

Although the winning acceleration was impressive, it also came after a long, long period of poker playing by the two-time world champion. Alaphilippe rarely did any work at the front of the group, and that was not because he couldn't. "Certainly not, I had good legs. Of course, I want to race, but at a certain point, you also have to be tactical. I was the only one from my team riding at the front."

That's why the eventual winner received a team order from the team car. “There were some very strong teams at the front, and my team leader instructed me to save as much energy as possible for the final. That's why I stayed calm and had to stay focused for the final. It got harder with every lap, and in the last kilometer I really had to give it my all.”

In the mixed zone at HLN, among others, Alaphilippe added: "Of course, we knew that Tadej Pogacar was at the start here. With a strong team, by the way, just like Wout van Aert and Visma | Lease a Bike. But I was focused on my own race. We rode our race, followed our plan. That was also our goal. Once we got away with that group, we didn't look back for a moment."