ALAPHILIPPE ’ S TOUR TARGETS
Between Brittany , where the race kicks off , to Andorra , where he lives , world champion Julian Alaphilippe lifts the lid on the six stages on the 2021 Tour where he hopes to shine .
INTERVIEW BY JEAN-LUC GATELLIER
STAGE 1
“ It ’ s going to be explosive !”
The finish is at the top of a 3km climb with a section at 14 %. That ’ s the Fosse aux Loups ! The final section will be very tense , that ’ s for sure , with the yellow jersey set to go to the stage winner . Everyone will be ready , everyone will be fresh , everyone will be determined to do well ... The general classification riders will want to avoid being caught out .
The stage will be decided between the puncheurs and those sprinters who can get over the hills . We ’ ll approach the final climb on a road where the speed will be quite fast , then there ’ s a turn and , right from the beginning , the climb is steep , with the first 1km at 8 or 9 %. Positioning will be vital here in order to attack the climb in the ideal way . It ’ s going to be explosive and , of course , I like that !
However , you can ’ t count your chickens before they ’ re hatched because in 2018 there were also two stages in Brittany that suited me very well . I was in good shape then but not good enough to win . I managed to do so a few days later on the stage into Le Grand-Bornand .
STAGE 2
“ Perfect for the puncheurs ”
There are lots of changes of direction on the route . This means that there ’ s a risk of echelons forming and , once again , you ’ ll need to be very careful to avoid being caught out . The finish at Mûr-de-Bretagne is one that most of the riders know well by now . The climb suits puncheurs perfectly . I have ridden it twice : as an amateur during the Tour of Brittany , when I finished well up , and at the Tour de France in 2018 . There are some fairly testing ramps in the opening kilometre , and fewer in the second . In a nutshell , the first two stages will finish at the top of a climb . This is a good idea on the organisers ’ part , as it ’ s always good to change .
Left : To the delight of the French crowds , Julian Alaphilippe spent 14 days in yellow at the 2019 Tour . This pic : He received the combativity award on stage 17 to Méribel at the 2020 race . Right : At the stage 20 time trial on the 2020 Tour , where he finished in 36th place overall in Paris .
16 | TOUR DE FRANCE 2021