In the first of three brutal and decisive stages in the Alps, Julian Alaphilippe again demonstrated why he is the fairytale story of the Tour this year by holding on to the overall lead. After battling over the massive Col d’Izoard and the Col du Galibier, Alaphilippe superbly caught his General Classification rivals on the descent in to the finish. Dutifully supported by his Deceuninck – Quick-Step team mates throughout, Alaphilippe will wear the coveted yellow jersey for the 14th time on Friday and with just two hard mountain stages left home hopes continue to grow for a first French winner since 1985.
“First and foremost, I have to thank my team, because they were amazing and did a great job protecting me. I knew it was going to be hard today and that there was a chance of losing everything, but I stayed calm and then, on the descent, I just pushed myself and took some risks, knowing that it was my chance to get back. At the end of the day, I’m very happy that I kept the maillot jaune”, said the leader of the UCI Individual Classification.
