Two-time road cycling world champion Julian Alaphilippe is retiring with immediate effect. According to the sports newspaper *L'Equipe*, the French cycling star has decided that the Tour de France was his final race.
Although Alaphilippe still had a contract with the Swiss Tudor team for another year, the 34-year-old was hardly competitive anymore. He failed to make his mark on any stage of the Tour de France, and his last professional victory was almost a year ago.
Alaphilippe won the World Road Race Championship title in 2020 and 2021. He also triumphed in the Milan–San Remo classic in 2019 and won the Flèche Wallonne three times. He also caused a sensation in the Tour de France, securing six stage wins and the King of the Mountains jersey in 2018. In 2019, he even wore the Yellow Jersey for 14 days, eventually finishing fifth overall.
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