“It’s a race where I’ve always wanted to shine,” admits Julian Alaphilippe on the eve of the Flèche wallonne

Julian Alaphilippe is at the dawn of a gala week. On Wednesday April 20, he will find the roads of the Flèche wallonne, where he won with forceps in 2021. Once again, he will don the costume of favorite there. “D‘from a personal point of view, it’s a race where I’ve always wanted to shine”assures the world champion. “Afterwards, when you see the entry list, there are still a lot of riders who will be able to win”. With Tadej Pogacar, Marc Hirschi, or even Benoît Cosnefroy, the field will be raised on the roads of the Ardennes classic.

The Frenchman will continue his good week in Liège-Bastogne-Liège on Sunday April 24, where he was narrowly beaten by Pogacar last season. “We’ll see what we can do, but it’s mainly the legs that decide for races like these. You need to have a big team, but also be physically strong”he assures a few days before the race.