The French Julian Alaphilippe, reigning world champion, announced, Friday, May 14, on social networks that he would not participate in the Olympic Games (Olympics) in Tokyo, where he was one of the favorites of the event of road cycling.
“It’s a personal and well-considered decision. End-of-season objectives have been defined and in this sense choices must be made. I would be very proud to wear the France team jersey for the next world championships ”, at writes the runner of the Belgian Deceuninck-Quick Step team on Twitter and Instagram.
A petition in Japan to cancel the Olympics
This is the first defection of a leading rider from the Olympic men’s road cycling road race which is scheduled for July 24, less than a week after the arrival of the Tour de France in Paris. . As for the World Cycling Championships organized in Flanders, they will take place in September, almost two months after the Olympic Games.
In Japan, a petition calling for the cancellation of these Olympics collected more than 350,000 signatures and was handed over to local authorities in Tokyo on Friday. It has also been sent to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and should be submitted to the Japanese government.