(Bilbao) Two years later, Julian Alaphilippe must return to the Tour de France on Saturday with an inaugural stage that he “loves” in Bilbao and still “dreams” of donning the yellow jersey, a 19th time, he said. indicated at a press conference on Wednesday three days before the big departure in the Basque Country.
“I love this stage, the course suits me well and I worked hard to get in shape from the start of the Tour”, warned the double French world champion, without concealing his ambitions.
“The goal is to win a stage. Obviously, I dream of putting on the yellow jersey for the first two days. But it’s always difficult. »
The Pike wall, at the ideal slope for him (2 km at 10%), looks like the ideal launch pad ten kilometers from the line in Bilbao.
“You’ll have to tighten your shoes well because the slopes are really steep,” smiled the puncheur, relieved by his stage victory in the Critérium du Dauphiné a little over three weeks ago.
“This success has brought me joy, but also confidence for what is to come. It’s been a long time since I’ve won this way, ”rejoiced the six-time stage winner in the Big Loop.
The episode of his abandonment on Sunday at the French Championships in Cassel, where, suffering from the heat, he was unhooked nearly a hundred kilometers from the finish, does not seem to have disturbed him.
“I did not lose my confidence because I had a heat stroke on Sunday at the French Championships, assured “Alaf”. I did my best to recover and I already feel much better. »
The man of the French epic in yellow of 2019 has already recognized Saturday’s rugged stage twice, a 182-kilometre long loop starting and finishing in Bilbao.
“I will definitely go back tomorrow (Thursday) with my teammates,” added the Soudal-Quick Step leader. A third scouting will not be too much to find the solution against Mathieu van der Poel and Wout Van Aert, also very comfortable on a field such as that of Saturday.
“They will be on the edge, depending on the race scenario,” said sporting director Tom Steels. “But we can’t cross them off the list, they will be present in the finale. »
“I always have a punch, but we know that there are the three great musketeers (Tadej) Pogacar, (Wout) Van Aert and (Mathieu) Van der Poel, noted Julian Alaphilippe. I am the little musketeer now. But I’m still here and I hope that on Saturday I’ll be there. »