Patrick Lefevere has described Julian Alaphilippe’s departure from Soudal-QuickStep as “the end of an era” both for the team and the rider. It was confirmed on Monday that Alaphilippe will ride for Tudor Pro Cycling next season after signing a three-year contract with the Swiss squad.
Alaphilippe has spent the entirety of his professional career to date with QuickStep, having previously raced for their feeder team, but his exit from the team seemed likely this summer after he had borne the brunt of some bracing and very public criticism from Lefevere in recent seasons.
Lefevere did offer a new contract to Alaphilippe, albeit on reduced terms, and it came as little surprise when the Frenchman opted for a fresh start. He eventually chose Tudor over a competing offer from TotalEnergies.
“Julian had two very weak years, 2022 and 2023, and I didn't want to pay that money anymore. He was not a guy racing for a minimum wage,” Lefevere told Het Laatste Nieuws of his contract negotiations, adding that Alaphilippe was “perfectly within his rights” to refuse the offer. "You can speak of the end of an era. Both for him and for us."
Alaphilippe spent 11 years at QuickStep, where highlights included two world titles, victories at Milan-San Remo, Strade Bianche, and La Flèche Wallonne, and a dizzying two-week spell in the yellow jersey on the 2019 Tour de France.
In recent years, QuickStep’s plans have been increasingly built around Remco Evenepoel’s Grand Tour aspirations. Alaphilippe struggled for form amid seasons blighted by injury illness, though he has enjoyed something of a resurgence this year, with his sparkling Giro d’Italia stage victory in Fano marking a turning point.
“We have a very long history together. The little guy came to us very young,” Lefevere said. “We had a lot of work, but we also had a lot of fun together. It still hurts to see him leave. He was not just a rider, Julian is like a child of the family that you’re giving up.”
Lefevere issued some striking public criticism of Alaphilippe in the latter part of his time at QuickStep, most notably in an interview with Humo earlier this year when he suggested that the blame for the rider’s subdued displays lay with his lifestyle and his relationship with his partner, the Tour de France Femmes director Marion Rousse.
“I must admit that I have been a bit naughty at times and that I have made some stupid statements,” Lefevere said. “But some things have also been misinterpreted. Like about Marion: I just meant that it is a good thing that she keeps him on a leash because that is what is needed with Julian.
‘As in any relationship, we have had our ups and downs, but I'm glad we had another good talk. A few weeks ago, he visited Wevelgem and we were able to talk one-on-one. We are leaving with a positive feeling. I certainly am, and I think he is too. I think his heart is still with us.
“Julian is a really good guy. I have been tough on him, but I can also say that I have done a lot for him, also privately, when his dad died and so on. That's why I'm glad our relationship remains cordial.”
