Julian Alaphilippe has been confirmed for the Tour of Britain in 2021 in his first appearance since he won the race back in 2018.
Alaphilippe (Deceuninck - Quick-Step) has not raced much since the Tour de France where he won the opening stage and wore the yellow jersey for a day. Since then he has raced at the Clásica San Sebastian finishing sixth and most recently the Belgian Druivenkoers in Overijse, where he managed a solid 13th with his team-mates taking first, second and fourth.
The 29-year-old Frenchman is building up to his defence of the world title he won last year in Imola, Italy. This year the World Championships are being held in Leuven, Belgium, which suits the star rider's credentials.
"I am really looking forward to racing the Tour of Britain, which will be my last in the rainbow jersey, that I have been so proud to wear for the last 12 months," Alaphilippe said of his upcoming return to the UK.
"I had a successful race in Britain the last time I was there in 2018, and I know it will be a hard-fought race this time. It will be the perfect race for me to take on, ahead of the World Championships. We come here with a strong team and will look to race hard, as we always do."
Alaphilippe joins his team-mate Mark Cavendish as well as Belgian champion Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) as the first three riders announced to be starting the eight-day race around Great Britain.
It's a course that suits Alaphilippe and Van Aert very well with multiple hilly stages including a summit finish on the Great Orme in Llandudno, Wales. Also included in the route is a team time trial which should open up the general classification on stage three.
By his high standards, Alaphilippe has not had his best season with just three wins to his name. A stage of Tirreno-Adriatico, Flèche Wallonne, and the previously mentioned Tour stage.
It is not yet known how the rest of the Deceuninck - Quick-Step team will look at the race but it is likely to be a very strong one when the first two riders announced are Cavendish and Alaphilippe.
The Tour of Britain starts on Sunday, September 5 in Penzance, Cornwall and finishes eight days later in Aberdeen, Scotland on Sunday, September 12.
Hi, I'm one of Cycling Weekly's content writers for the web team responsible for writing stories on racing, tech, updating evergreen pages as well as the weekly email newsletter. Proud Yorkshireman from the UK's answer to Flanders, Calderdale, go check out the cobbled climbs!
I started watching cycling back in 2010, before all the hype around London 2012 and Bradley Wiggins at the Tour de France. In fact, it was Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck's battle in the fog up the Tourmalet on stage 17 of the Tour de France.
It took me a few more years to get into the journalism side of things, but I had a good idea I wanted to get into cycling journalism by the end of year nine at school and started doing voluntary work soon after. This got me a chance to go to the London Six Days, Tour de Yorkshire and the Tour of Britain to name a few before eventually joining Eurosport's online team while I was at uni, where I studied journalism. Eurosport gave me the opportunity to work at the world championships in Harrogate back in the awful weather.
After various bar jobs, I managed to get my way into Cycling Weekly in late February of 2020 where I mostly write about racing and everything around that as it's what I specialise in but don't be surprised to see my name on other news stories.
When not writing stories for the site, I don't really switch off my cycling side as I watch every race that is televised as well as being a rider myself and a regular user of the game Pro Cycling Manager. Maybe too regular.
My bike is a well used Specialized Tarmac SL4 when out on my local roads back in West Yorkshire as well as in northern Hampshire with the hills and mountains being my preferred terrain.
-
-
João Almeida hoping for third time lucky at Giro d'Italia as he aims for fewer mistakes
UAE-Team Emirates' new Portugese GC hope talks switching up training, working with Tadej Pogačar and how he can improve
-
Will 2022 be the year Julian Alaphilippe finishes the Tour de France in yellow?
Having enjoyed 14 days in yellow in 2019, and held the jersey every subsequent year, could the French rider roll into Paris the leader?
-
Fabio Jakobsen on aiming for the Tour de France, lawsuit against Groenewegen and supporting Cavendish
The Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl rider showed he is back to being one of the fastest sprinters around at the Vuelta a España
-
'I don’t want to end my time with the regret of not ever trying': Julian Alaphilippe wants to try and win Tour de France before retiring
The double world champion will focus on the Classics in 2022 but still has an eye on the French Grand Tour
-
Julian Alaphilippe reluctant to only focus on Tour de France in 2022: 'Sacrificing everything to aim for the Tour, I don't want to'
The Frenchman can't only focus on the Tour de France when he also dreams of winning Monument races as well
-
Julian Alaphilippe and Remco Evenepoel share their thoughts ahead of Il Lombardia 2021
The two Deceuninck - Quick-Step riders come into the final Monument of the year as two of the main favourites
-
Julian Alaphilippe says losing the rainbow jersey would have been 'a certain form of relief'
The French star stormed to an amazing second world title in a row on the roads of Leuven
-
Thomas Voeckler: 'We wanted to attack earlier than everyone else at Worlds so they would think we were idiots'
French boss happily accepts fine for coaching Julian Alaphilippe when it wasn't permitted
-
Sam Bennett makes return to Deceuninck - Quick-Step squad in Belgian one-day race
The Irish sprinter has fallen out with management, recently racing the European Championships without consulting with the team
-
Alex Peters is enjoying cycling again, returning to Tour of Britain after mental health break
The 27-year-old Brit left Team Sky back in 2016, but has rejoined he peloton with Continental squad SwiftCarbon
