Julian Alaphilippe conquers Brabantse Pijl: I didn't expect to win today
Oct 08 2020 04:19 am CET
Photo of Julian Alaphilippe © Deceuninck-Quick-Step Cycling Team / Getty Images
Deceuninck-Quick-Step's Julian Alaphilippe has won the Brabantse Pijl after finishing in the second position in the 2019 edition of the race and taking his first victory in the Rainbow Jersey.
With 60 kilometres to go in the Belgian race, Alaphilippe made a move that slimmed the pack and he put his teammates to work in front to set a high pace to increase his chances. At 35 kilometres from the end, the Frenchman attacked once again and was joined by the winner of the 2019 edition of the race, Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) and later on by other riders.
Kilometres later, Alaphilippe tried again and this time only Van der Poel and Benoit Cosnefroy (AG2R La Mondiale) managed to stay with him. The trio arrived together to the finish line and the World Champion was the fastest in the final sprint, while the Dutch national champion finished second and Cosnefroy, third.
"This win makes me happy as it came at the right moment after the disappointment of last Sunday," said the rider. "I took some time to think about what happened there and I arrived here without any pressure, just to have fun and enjoy the experience. I am grateful to the team, which was very strong, and always by my side. Dries played an important role today; he is indispensable to me, has a lot of experience, works hard for the team, is always calm and knows what to do in the important moments.
"In the final I took the responsibility and attacked several times to make the difference. Going into the last kilometre, I had some pain in the legs, but gave my best, and although it was really close again, I'm delighted that I came out on top. I didn't expect to win today, but I believed in my chances and I couldn't be happier with this victory."
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