Two-time world champion Julian Alaphilippe announced his immediate retirement from professional road cycling on Friday. The 34-year-old French rider steps away with 45 career victories, concluding a career that established him as one of France's leading cyclists of the 21st century.
Alaphilippe decided to relinquish the final year of his contract with Swiss squad Tudor Pro Cycling Team, which was due to run until December 2027. By terminating the deal early, the rider foregoes an annual salary reported at around two million euros per season.
In a statement published by the Tudor team, the rider from Saint-Amand-Montrond in central France explained that he had always competed on instinct, attacking when his legs burned rather than following computer data. He said he arrived at the decision to retire in the same manner, waking up one morning during a training camp and realizing it was time to step down.
Victories in classic races and world titles
Popularly known by the nickname Loulou, Alaphilippe built his reputation as a formidable one-day racer. He won back-to-back rainbow jerseys at the UCI Road World Championships in 2020 and 2021. His list of classic victories includes three wins at La Flèche Wallonne in Belgium in 2018, 2019, and 2021, the Clásica de San Sebastián in Spain in 2018, and the Italian Monument Milan-San Remo in 2019.
Alaphilippe also belongs to an elite group of riders who have won individual stages in all three of cycling's Grand Tours. His career tally includes six stage victories at the Tour de France, one at the Giro d'Italia, and one at the Vuelta a España. His final professional win came in Canada at the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec in 2025.
Tour de France performances
Despite his extensive success in one-day events and stage wins, an overall victory in a three-week Grand Tour remained elusive. His strongest general classification performance came at the 2019 Tour de France, where he finished fifth overall after spending 14 days in the leader's yellow jersey and winning two stages.
Among French cyclists in the modern era, only Romain Bardet, who placed second in 2016 and third in 2017, and Thibaut Pinot, who finished third in 2014, have recorded higher overall finishes in the Tour de France. Alaphilippe made his final appearance at the French Grand Tour in 2026, finishing 126th overall.
