Julian Alaphilippe out of Milan-San Remo with bronchitis, Jakobsen preferred to Cavendish for Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl
World champion had raced every edition since 2017, winning once


World champion Julian Alaphilippe is to miss Milan-San Remo on Saturday after coming down with a case on bronchitis.
Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl confirmed their team on Wednesday morning, and the 2019 winner was missing from the lineup.
Alaphilippe won three years ago, but has also finished on the podium at the race on two separate occasions: 3rd in 2017 behind Michał Kwiatkowski, and 2nd in 2020 behind Wout van Aert.
"No Milano-San Remo for me on Saturday. Bronchitis + fever = X," he wrote on social media.
"Sad to leave the team, especially after a difficult week of racing on Tirreno where I felt the legs were coming back well despite my crash at Strade Bianche. Rest and patience on the program. See you soon."
>>> Paris-Sneeze: The tale of a Race to the Sun struck by illness
In Alaphilippe's place Fabio Jakobsen has been parachuted in, with the Dutch sprinter in red hot form so far this year. It will be his first appearance at the monument, which has been won by sprinters in the past, including his teammate Mark Cavendish in 2009.
Speaking earlier this year, Jakobsen said that he first need to "experience" San Remo before he could work out if he could win it. The Dutchman is preferred over Cavendish despite the latter already being in Italy and racing Milan-Torino on Wednesday.
Davide Bramati, a Quick-Step sports director, said: "Milano-Sanremo is an event we love and which we are always happy to race, but this year we know the chances won’t favour us, as we can’t count on Julian, who we hope will make a fast and complete recovery.
"We have a young team at the start, featuring also Fabio, who has had a great season so far and will make his first appearance here. Despite not being among the favourites, we are still motivated to do a good race."
As well as Jakobsen, Andrea Bagioli, Davide Ballerini, Mattia Cattaneo, Mikkel Honoré, Florian Sénéchal and Zdeněk Štybar will ride.
He is not the only star to be missing from the startlist due to illness, with Paris-Roubaix champion Sonny Colbrelli also absent with bronchitis. He has finished in the top-10 on four separate occasions.
He was one of the many who dropped out of Paris-Nice last week with health problems, and the Italian said on Instagram that he needs to continue to recover before returning to racing.
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Hello, I'm Cycling Weekly's digital staff writer. I like pretending to be part of the great history of cycling writing, and acting like a pseudo-intellectual in general.
Before joining the team here I wrote for Procycling for almost two years, interviewing riders and writing about racing. My favourite event is Strade Bianche, but I haven't quite made it to the Piazza del Campo just yet.
Prior to covering the sport of cycling, I wrote about ecclesiastical matters for the Church Times and politics for Business Insider. I have degrees in history and journalism.
-
-
Is this Ineos Grenadiers' Tour de France team? Geraint Thomas teases with eight-man training squad photo
It would not be a surprise to see the same faces in Copenhagen
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Vincenzo Nibali rolls back the years with shark attack on stage 16 of the Giro d'Italia
37-year-old up to fifth on general classification with five stages left
By Adam Becket • Published
-
A look at Mark Cavendish's big day out on stage 16 of the Giro d'Italia
The Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl rider made the time cut, but did so much more
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Mark Cavendish wants to continue for 'at least' two more years
Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl sprinter turns 37 this weekend
By Adam Becket • Published
-
The David Guetta of the peloton? Analysing Pieter Serry's Giro d'Italia playlist
We listened to Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl's playlist so you didn't have to
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Julian Alpahilippe returns to training, but Tour de France participation still in doubt
Quick-Step say Frenchman's punctured lung is fully healed
By Adam Becket • Published
-
'In the end, what can you do?' — Mark Cavendish misses out on Giro d'Italia stage five sprint
Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl sprinter distanced by peloton on climb
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Julian Alaphilippe 'moving in the right direction' after heavy crash at Liège
World champion to have tests to decide shape of season
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Milan-San Remo's organiser is planning to create women's event for 2023
RCS is looking to add a women's Milan-San Remo to the calendar next year
By Ryan Dabbs • Published
-
Liège-Bastogne-Liège victory 'my best day on the bike ever' says Remco Evenepoel
The Belgian prodigy attacked on the La Redoute, riding 29km solo to take his first Monument victory, saving Quickstep-Alpha Vinyl’s classics season
By Owen Rogers • Published