New setback for Tudor as Alaphilippe ruled out of Liège after Hirschi's fractured collarbone

Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor) has been ruled out of Liège-Bastogne-Liège due to medical reasons. 

On Saturday morning, Tudor Pro Cycling confirmed to social media that Alaphilippe will miss both Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Eschborn-Frankfurt. The Frenchman uncharacteristically abandoned both Amstel Gold Race and Flèche Wallonne, raising concerns about his health.

“As a result, he will not be competing in the upcoming events in order to prioritise his health and ensure a return to racing,” Tudor confirmed on social media. “In the meantime, we wish him a smooth recovery.”

Despite Alaphilippe’s pedigree and suitability to the Ardennes Classics, Liège-Bastogne-Lièe is the one that has gotten away from the former two-time World Champion up until this point in his career.

Since making his debut in 2015, Alaphilippe has started in nine out of eleven possible La Doyennes and has often made his mark on most, despite never winning.

Alaphilippe has finished 2nd in Liège on two occasions in 2015 on debut and 2021, as well as taking 4th in 2019. However, the closest he came to victory was in the 2020 Covid edition in September, as the recently crowned World Champion. 

The Frenchman celebrated victory too early in the final sprint and was pipped on the line by Primož Roglič. To add salt to the wounds, Alaphilippe was later relegated to 5th due to his sprint. 

The more recent editions haven’t seen Alaphilippe finish towards the fore, but the absence of the swashbuckling Frenchman still marks a blow for the spectacle of the race, and particularly for Tudor.  

It’s a second major setback during this Ardennes campaign for the Swiss ProTeam after Marc Hirschi, who took Alaphilippe’s 2nd place in 2020, broke his collarbone in a crash at Flèche Wallonne on Wednesday.

Tudor has yet to confirm their squad, but the absences of both Alaphilippe and Hirschi are confirmed, leaving the Swiss team with a puzzle to solve.