Julian Alaphilippe hints at Tour de France farewell

Alpe d’Huez – 25 July 2026: Julian Alaphilippe sat on the asphalt after crossing the finish line, legs outstretched and staring into space. After 170.9 kilometers and 5,450 meters of climbing on Stage 20 of the Tour de France from Le Bourg-d’Oisans to Alpe d’Huez, the Frenchman did not sound like a rider already planning his next attack. Instead, he spoke about a possible farewell to his country’s most important stage race.

“You have to stop when the joy is no longer there,” Alaphilippe said after his second consecutive finish at the legendary Alpine climb. The 34-year-old Tudor Pro Cycling rider left open whether his decision has already been finalized. Nevertheless, his message was unmistakable: for now, no one should expect him to take part in another Tour next year.

The scene at the finish told the story of three hard weeks. Alaphilippe reached Alpe d’Huez alongside Warren Barguil, another French rider who has shaped the Tour for years. Both appeared exhausted. Alaphilippe explained that he had given everything in this race, even if the sporting return had fallen short of his expectations.

The penultimate stage was exceptionally demanding even by Tour standards. The route went over the Col de la Croix de Fer, the Col du Telegraphe, the Col du Galibier and the Col de Sarenne before the final climb to Alpe d’Huez began. Four long passes, including three in the highest mountain category, turned the day into an endurance test in which, for many professionals, the main objective was simply to reach the finish.

Alaphilippe rode his eighth Tour de France in 2026. His history with the race is far greater than this weary scene high in the mountains: six stage victories, numerous days in the Yellow Jersey and fifth place overall in 2019 are among his achievements. As world champion in 2020 and 2021, he left his mark on cycling with aggressive, often unpredictable attacks.

His remarks do not signal retirement from professional cycling. Alaphilippe remains under contract with Tudor Pro Cycling until 2027. His words referred explicitly to the Tour and its enormous physical demands. At Alpe d’Huez, they sounded neither defiant nor spontaneous, but rather like the sober assessment of a rider who has reached his limits.

The Tour concludes on 26 July with a shortened 88.7-kilometer flat stage from Thoiry to Paris, finishing on the Champs-Elysees. For Alaphilippe, it could mark the end of a Tour story that has thrilled France for years.