World champion Julian Alaphilippe will begin his 2022 season this week at the Tour de la Provence in a strong QuickStep-AlphaVinyl line-up.
The four-day race gets underway with a prologue time trial in Berre-l’Étang on Thursday and Alaphilippe will race with the rainbow jersey for the first time in 2022 on the following day’s opening road stage to Saintes Maries de la Mer. The Tour de la Provence concludes next Sunday with a summit finish at Montagne de Lure.
Alaphilippe finished second overall behind Ivan Sosa at last year’s Tour de la Provence after an all-action display across its four days. He went on the offensive on the opening stage before helping to tee up teammate Davide Ballerini for stage victory and he placed third on the final stage up Mont Ventoux to Chalet Reynard.
Ballerini is again in the QuickStep-AlphaVinyl line-up, while Dries Devenyns, Pieter Serry and new signings Ilan Van Wilder and Louis Vervaecke complete the QuickStep-AlphaVinyl team in Provence.
2021 Tour of Flanders winner Kasper Asgreen was due to begin his build-up to the Classics in the South of France but is out of the race after testing positive for COVID-19. QuickStep-AlphaVinyl have still to confirm his replacement.
"It’s the first time in three years that the race starts with a time trial, and it should be something for Ilan, and maybe Julian, they have a chance of getting a nice result there," said directeur sportif Geert Van Bondt.
"The next two stages should have the sprinters and the puncheurs respectively in the spotlight, but the wind in the region could play an important role, so we’ll see how things will go there. The last day is the hardest one, and that’s where the general classification will be decided. It will be good to see where our riders are at this point in the season."
A year ago, Alaphilippe used the Tour de la Provence as a warm-up for Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, where he went on the offensive from distance, but the two-time world champion will eschew the cobbled Classics this season, preferring to focus on the Ardennes.
Instead of participating in Belgium’s Opening Weekend in late February, Alaphilippe is scheduled to ride the Faun-Ardèche Classic before he moves on to Italy to race at Strade Bianche, Tirreno-Adriatico and Milan-San Remo. Alaphilippe is expected to line out at Itzulia Basque Country ahead of Amstel Gold Race, La Flèche Wallonne and Amstel Gold Race.
