Lefevere to Alaphilippe: ‘I want results now. I told him twice’

The season of Julian Alaphilippe, the two-times world champion of the Soudal-Quick Step (2020-2021) begins with the Challenge Mallorca on Wednesday. He will be in the spotlight more than ever: especially 2022, also due to falls and physical problems, did not go as he hoped. Even his team manager Patrick Lefevere expected more, to the point of saying: “He has an important contract, we expect better results from him”, in summary. Alaphilippe in an interview with L’Equipe said he was surprised: “He never told me personally, I’m surprised”.

PAROLE – La Gazzetta contacted Lefevere on Sunday, here are his words: “Yes, we spoke twice. There were also his wife (Marion Rousse, Alaphilippe’s partner, ed) and his solicitor. I’ve never attacked an injured rider, but I was clear that his performance wasn’t enough. Of course, he had bad luck in 2022 but since 2020 he has won 2, 3, 4 races… with the team jersey seven times in 3 years, and luckily he was world champion. For Julian these numbers are not enough. He says we haven’t talked? I’m sure we did, and twice. I don’t want to throw it down, but I was very clear in my speech. If you have a contract and it’s very high, but you don’t deliver what you promised… It’s okay that you’ve been sick, but you can’t be sick for three years. I don’t want to get rid of him, but I asked him if he wasn’t happy staying in our group anymore, if he wanted to leave, since he’s reached 18 and maybe things can change. He replied ‘I want to stay here, this is my team, my family’. ‘Okay but now it’s up to you’”. Julian Alaphilippe spoke on the eve of Mallorca: “Patrick and I have always been very transparent with each other. It’s been like this from the beginning, it’s been like this when things were going well and it’s like this now when things are a little less so. Patrick’s statements won’t change anything about my way of working and my motivation”.