After seasons of near silence and fading flashes, Julian Alaphilippe is back in the spotlight—and this time, he’s not just hoping for form, he’s gunning for redemption. With the Tour de France drawing near, the former world champion appears to be rediscovering the fire that once made him one of cycling’s most electrifying riders.
At the Tour de Suisse, the Frenchman’s unexpected resurgence has turned heads and rattled expectations. Stage after stage, he’s been mounting a quiet, yet powerful rebellion against the narrative that his best days are behind him. With a seventh-place finish on the grueling stage 5 ascent to Castaneda, Alaphilippe has catapulted himself into second place in the general classification—just 29 seconds adrift of fellow Frenchman Kévin Vauquelin.
He nearly snatched the yellow jersey outright. When the overnight leader Romain Grégoire faltered, Alaphilippe made a gutsy surge on the final climb, “I felt good, and I had a bit of confidence in myself,” he told L’Équipe TV. “I accelerated, but I quickly reached my limit, and after that, I just had to get to the top.”
That final push may not have sealed victory, but it sent a message: Julian Alaphilippe is not done yet.
“I’m still happy to have been part of the front group,” he added. He wasn’t even planning to race for GC (general classification) honors, but fate had other plans. Riding alongside Marc Hirschi for Team Tudor, the original strategy was to chase breakaway wins. But now, with the yellow jersey just seconds away, Alaphilippe is in the thick of it.
“Like I said this morning, I didn’t imagine finding myself in a position to fight for GC,” Alaphilippe admitted. “But I have a decent advantage, so you have to fight every day, and it’s good for the team. I gave my maximum, so no regrets.”
This isn’t just about the Tour de Suisse anymore. It’s about rebuilding the narrative of his career after an underwhelming transition from Soudal-QuickStep to Tudor, a move that many believed spelled the twilight of his elite years. Since his last win at the Czech Tour nearly a year ago, doubts have hung in the air.
But with his Tour de France return looming—after being left out of the race last year—Alaphilippe’s Switzerland revival could be the spark that reignites it all.
“I’m happy, but I hope the win will come soon,” he confessed. “It’s the first step towards finding my best level, but winning is something else, and that’s what I want to do.”
Could this be the twist no one saw coming? A once-doubted champion, rising from the shadows of the peloton, clawing his way back into contention with one goal in mind: victory.
The French public, already dreaming of home-soil glory in July, might just have their hero again. But if there’s one thing the cycling world knows about Julian Alaphilippe, it’s that when he smells a chance to shine, he doesn’t settle for second.
