Sawt Falasteen - Cyclist Alaphilippe attracts tributes as reports say he has quit

According to the specialist Dutch website WielerFlits, two-time world champion Alaphilippe is "seriously considering ending his career" and on the verge of terminating his contract with his Tudor team, which runs until the end of 2027.

French sports daily L'Equipe reported that Alaphilippe has already made his decision and that this year's Tour de France in July was his last race.

Contacted by AFP, neither the 34-year-old rider nor his representatives responded and his Tudor team has also not commented.

However the Tours of France and Spain paid tribute to the rider.

"Thank you for everything, Loulou," the Vuelta reacted on X, formerly Twitter, using his nickname.

"Loulou. In yellow, polka dots, rainbow, you made us dream in July and throughout the year! Thank you for your flair, your smile and your class!", the Tour de France commented on its X account.

Alaphilippe recorded his first stage victory in a Grand Tour at the 2017 Vuelta, but it was from 2018 to 2021 that he enjoyed a purple patch of success, winning the Milan-San Remo in 2019 and then recording two stage victories and spending 14 days in the leader's yellow jersey during that year's Tour de France.

Then, in an unprecedented achievement for a Frenchman, he won two consecutive world championships titles in 2020 and 2021.

The rest of his career showed decline, with several major crashes including one during the Liege-Bastogne-Liege in 2022 which sidelined him for months.

In this year's Tour de France he finished 125th and released a statement before the end of the race, saying: "Nothing is official, but you shouldn't expect to see me again."

H.Nasr--SF-PST