Julian Alaphilippe takes aim at opening days of Tour de France

Julian Alaphilippe on the attack at the Tour de Suisse
Julian Alaphilippe on the attack at the Tour de Suisse (Image credit: Getty Images Sport)

Julian Alaphilippe withdrew from the Tour de Suisse last weekend ahead of the final stage to attend the birth of his first child, but the world champion returns to action on Sunday at the French Championships in Épinal, his final outing before the Tour de France.

Indeed, he was already back on duty on Friday afternoon, taking a break from packing his suitcase to speak with reporters during an online presentation to announce the arrival of a new sub-sponsor, Safety Jogger, for his Deceuninck-QuickStep team.

Barry Ryan
Head of Features

Barry Ryan was Head of Features at Cyclingnews. He has covered professional cycling since 2010, reporting from the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and events from Argentina to Japan. His writing has appeared in The Independent, Procycling and Cycling Plus. He is the author of The Ascent: Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche and the Rise of Irish Cycling’s Golden Generation, published by Gill Books.