Illness rules Alaphilippe out of San Sebastián Klasikoa

Julian Alaphilippe will miss Saturday’s Donostia San Sebastián Klasikoa due to an illness he sustained following the Tour de France. The Frenchman won in San Sebastián in 2018, and he placed second last year behind Marc Hirschi, now his teammate at Tudor Pro Cycling.

“After concluding the Tour de France, Julian started to feel symptoms of an upper respiratory tract infection,” Tudor said in a statement on social media.

“In coordination with our medical department, it was decided that Julian will not race on Saturday but focus on his recovery instead.”

Hirschi will lead Tudor’s challenge in the Basque Country in Alaphilippe’s absence, with Larry Warbasse also featuring in the line-up.

Alaphilippe has yet to win a race since joining Tudor from Soudal-QuickStep last winter, though the two-time world champion impressed en route to fifth overall at the Tour de Suisse. He was also an aggressive presence at the Tour de France. 

He placed third in Carcassonne on stage 15 after crashing and dislocating his shoulder early in the stage, though that feat was overshadowed by the fact that he raised his arms at the finish unaware that escapee Tim Wellens had already won the stage.