Julian Alaphilippe at the 2018 World Championships (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Julian Alaphilippe has been given the leadership of the French national squad for the upcoming Yorkshire World Championships, with the goal of returning the rainbow bands to France for the first time since Laurent Brochard in San Sebastián in 1997.
After an outstanding early 2019 that saw the Deceuninck - Quick-Step rider victorious at Strade Bianche, Milan-San Remo and La Flèche Wallonne, Alaphilippe also captured the hearts and minds of the home nation at the Tour de France, winning two stages and wearing the yellow jersey for 14 days before finishing fifth overall.
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