If analysts, across Quiévrain, are unanimous in recognizing the superiority of Julian Alaphilippe on Sunday at the world championships, the Belgian riders made too many mistakes to hope to win.
Julian Alaphilippe was unrivaled on Sunday in the online event of the world championships. After having made a first skimming more than fifty kilometers from the finish thanks to a first banderilla, the Frenchman indeed took off again shortly before the start of the last loop, winning in the end after a real number. alone. His pursuers, after having sailed at around ten seconds, quickly had to admit defeat, just like Wout van Aert, announced as the favorite and finally only 11e.
Read also: Alaphilippe, the problems start again
The snub is all the more terrible for Belgium as Jasper Stuyven had to settle for the 4e square. And analysts quickly point the finger at the tactics put in place by Sven Vanthourenhout, the Belgian coach. Patrick Lefévère, the manager of Deceuninck-Quick-Step, regretted on Sunday that Remco Evenepoel, responsible for hardening the race, was quickly sacrificed. ” It was in the service of Alaphilippe He said cynically.
A failure that will leave traces
An opinion nevertheless shared by many analysts like Johan Museeuw. “I consider that we took the race in hand much too early, at all times. In a world championship, it is almost always the last hour that turns out to be decisive. And that was not lacking this time either … But 25 kilometers from the finish, we found ourselves outnumbered when the Italians and French were still present with three riders. It’s a little as if our riders had ridden thinking that only Wout Van Aert could become world champion. We weren’t cunning enough », He lamented for The last hour.
And the former winner of Paris-Roubaix to point the finger, too, at the sacrifice of Remco Evenepoel. ” You have to know how to bluff and not go all-in too early! Our enormous pressure very quickly eliminated riders like Caleb Ewan for example but, in the end, it was France which benefited from all this work and especially the relays of Remco Evenepoel after the last ascent of the Smeysberg “, He continued, emphasizing on the contrary the tactical masterpiece of the Blues:” When Julian Alaphilippe first went on the offensive in the Smeysberg, I confess very sincerely that I thought it was far too early and that he was releasing significant forces there. But he had more than one cartridge. France has driven very intelligently. She put runners in all the important shots but didn’t try to take matters into her own hands all the time. »
Famous editorialist across Quiévrain, Eric de Falleur also pointed out the choice to bet everything on Wout van Aert. “This Mondial de Louvain will undoubtedly leave its mark. In all likelihood, it will take time before we find a Belgian team lining up with a single leader in a rainbow race ”, he warned.
Read also:Pogacar, the twistPogacar, it does not get betterBelgium betrayed by a teammate of Alaphilippe?Alaphilippe, the stroke of madness
