It’s a checkered start to the season that is going through Julian Alaphilippe and this is once again confirmed this Sunday, April 24, 2022. After the first difficult weeks, the 29-year-old Frenchman thought he had come back well by winning the Flèche wallonne a few weeks ago. Supported by his partner Marion Rousse and his son Nino (10 months), who are behind him in every race, the double road cycling world champion hopes to have a magnificent season and shine once again on the Tour de France.
But before that, he will already have to recover from the terrible fall he suffered this Sunday during one of the most important races of the season and from which he expected a lot. About sixty kilometers from the finish, the cyclist was swept away in a huge fall which involved around 100 riders as the peloton traveled around 70 km per hour. Unable to leave, Julian Alaphilippe was taken to hospital by ambulance. Result: several big physical glitches with in particular two broken ribs, a fractured scapula and pneumothorax. “His condition is stable, but he will have to be hospitalized for observation”its Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl team said in a statement.
It was a nightmare. We don’t ride a bike to see this
It must be said that the fall of Julian Alaphilippe was particularly violent. Nino’s father fell suddenly before finishing his race against a tree. At his side at the time of the accident, the other star of French cycling, Romain Bardetwas particularly marked. “It was a nightmare. We don’t cycle to see this. Nobody was there and he couldn’t move or breathe”he tells the Parisian.
A chilling testimony, but fortunately the companion of Marion Rousse seems to be fine today. An accident that echoes that of the former winner of the Tour de France, Egan Bernal, victim of a terrible collision with a vehicle and who is currently recovering.