Tadej Pogacar, Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel ‘at an exceptional level’, says Julian Alaphilippe

Julian Alaphilippe says “self-pity isn’t any use” as he – and his team – look to make some indents on cycling’s biggest names during the Classics season.

Alaphilippe followed a disappointing 43rd at Strade Bianche with an 11th-placed finish at Milan-San Remo and then abandoned the E3 Saxo Classic with illness.

His troubles illustrate his team’s current predicament at the spring classics, with the mantle seemingly being passed to the omnipotent Jumbo-Visma.

“Lots of our riders have really prepared for this segment of the season, and when you see that some of our rivals are dominating like that, of course, it’s disappointing.

“But we have to keep calm, be patient, keep on doing what we’ve always done. Self-pity isn’t any use. And in fact, I find these situations can make me feel even more motivated.”

“I had great legs at San Remo but bad timing, bad positioning, some mistakes by the team, and voila,” Alaphilippe continued.

“I didn’t give up, but I was disappointed to tackle the Poggio like I did. I’ve never been so badly placed as when I started it this year.

“The day before E3 I felt a little tired but I didn’t worry about it. Then on Friday, when I woke up, I had a stomach ache, I felt that it was not right at all. I couldn’t eat anything for breakfast. I had two options: either I didn’t race, or I took the start and did what I could… I tried because I really wanted to race.”

“I’m not going to say I lost an entire year, but almost,” he said. “I was never at the top of my game.

“I showed that I was patient, but I’d like to have a bit of success. I’d like the work to pay off because I put in a lot of hard yards.”

Alaphilippe accepts that cycling’s big names of Van Aert, Tadej Pogacar and Mathieu van der Poel are “at an exceptional level right now” and he is unsure if he can compete with them at the Tour of Flanders.

“I don’t know, I haven’t had the chance to prove that yet,” the Frenchman said.

“As I haven’t been capable so far, I’m obliged to say ‘No’, but on the other hand, I don’t know how these coming weeks will play out.”

On Pogacar specifically, he said: “I’d have to be on a very good day to be able to follow him. He’s a game-changer. I’m not.”

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