“It was not enough”: lucid, Marion Rousse evokes her regrets about Julian Alaphilippe

They were 176 cyclists to set off from Copenhagen for more than three intense weeks. But among the athletes of the Tour de France this year, a phenomenon is missing: Julian Alaphilippe. Victim of a terrible fall during Liège-Bastogne-Liège, he was not selected by his Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team training to participate in the Great Loop. “To miss another opportunity to wear my beautiful rainbow jersey in my home country is very sad for me and I knew this decision would be difficult for the team to make.”, confided then the dad of little Nino. It is therefore without the two men in her life that Marion Rousse took the direction of Denmark to comment on the Tour de France. And during the first stage, this Friday, July 1, the sportswoman evoked the state of mind of her companion, forced to rest.

“It was not he who made the selection… The leaders were several to make the decision, including the team doctors. Julian fell on Liège-Bastogne-Liège with three broken ribs, a pneumothorax so that It still took a long time to recover from this injury.confided Marion Rousse on France 2. He put all the chances on his side to be able to be at the start of the Tour this year but, unfortunately, that was not enough. Rest assured, he is already motivated for the future.” Disappointed that Julian Alaphilippe cannot participate in the Tour de France this year, Marion Rousse is above all reassured that he has recovered. Because during the fall of her companion, she commented on this ordeal live on television. “For the first time, I lost my means because I didn’t know what he hadshe recalled to TV Magazine. In general, a fall does not disturb me too much if he gets up, I tell myself that these are the risks of the job. But there, it was an atmosphere that I hope never to relive…”

Julian Alaphilippe: “I will now focus on getting back to my best shape”

“I too don’t want to be at the start if I can’t be at my best level. I wish my teammates at Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl good luck, I know they will do everything to try to have a good race, wrote for his part Julian Alaphilippe when his non-selection for the Tour was revealed. I will now focus on getting back to my best form, as I am motivated to have a good second part of the season.” On the eve of the big start of the Tour, the athlete posted a message on Twitter to wish good luck to his teammates. “I look forward to seeing you again and in full possession of my means. There are still great things to do between now and the end of the season and my motivation is even stronger.he wrote. Thank you all for your support and encouragement during the French championship which touched me a lot.” He will be away from his partners and his sweetheart for three weeks.