![\"Julian](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Z8D_6689-2-1.jpg\")
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Tour de France<\/a><\/p>\n A broken radio, a dislocated shoulder, and a nation’s scrutiny. <\/p>\n The dense cluster of riders moved to the finish line in Carcassonne, an old town on a river where \u2013\u00a0as is time-honoured Tour de France<\/a> tradition\u00a0\u2013 it is always roughly a million degrees. Axel Laurance seemed to launch first around the final corner, followed by the suave dark figure of Julian Alaphilippe moving down the middle.<\/p>\n Wout van Aert was on his left side, and the three lunged for the line, arms pushing their bikes straight out in front of them. Alaphilippe, first to the line, sat up and whipped his right arm in victory, with that kind of limber joy that he tends to have when he\u2019s won a bike race\u00a0\u2013 a thing which he has done a lot of over his glittering career.\u00a0<\/p>\n There was just one problem: he hadn\u2019t won. <\/p>\n A cluster of journalists stood watching the finish at the TotalEnergies bus (it has a TV; also they have vibes<\/a>) and then watched events unfold.\u00a0<\/p>\n Two riders ahead of Alaphilippe, Tim Wellens had completed his Grand Tour grand slam<\/a>, taking an emotional win for his team of perennial underdogs, UAE Team Emirates (there’s a little joke for you). Behind him, Victor Campanaerts<\/a> tucked his little aero body and his big yellow aero helmet into a little bullet, speeding into second place. <\/p>\n Some of the bunch behind knew they weren\u2019t sprinting for the win; despite being in the same finishing straight, Alaphilippe was not one of those people. At the bus where we were standing and watching, there was confusion, mostly. In quick succession, the questions began: Was that Alaphilippe? Did he think he won? Was he being sarcastic? What the hell is happening?\u00a0<\/p>\n And so, we headed to the Tudor bus, waiting for Julian Alaphilippe to show up. \u00a0<\/p>\n Although he\u2019s not as prolific a winner as he once was\u00a0\u2013 not since the days when he won back-to-back World Championships or spent most of a Tour de France in a yellow jersey before simultaneously breaking and healing French cycling’s hearts \u2013\u00a0he’s still a marquee attraction. This year, since leaving his longterm home of Soudal-QuickStep for second-tier Swiss team Tudor Pro Cycling<\/a>, his presence on the roster was a defining factor in the team getting an invitation to the Tour de France at all. His compatriots haven\u2019t forgotten him, even in the autumn of his career; that team bus is one of the busiest every morning at the stage starts.\u00a0<\/p>\n Julian Alaphilippe\u2019s topsy-turvy day got off to an innocuous start in Muret, where he zipped along the crowded line of team buses and wandering punters trailed by his team press officer on an electric scooter. I didn\u2019t know that I\u2019d be writing about him then, but I observed him because that\u2019s what you do with Julian Alaphilippe; he\u2019s an endlessly watchable man who rides with swagger even when he\u2019s just pootling around before the start of a stage giving high fives to people. <\/p>\n I had other business at the Tudor team bus, and during the team briefing stood around watching a succession of team staff dispensing endless shots of espresso with the very nice espresso machine sticking out from under the bus. But mostly, in that moment, I just wanted to talk to Michael Storer (because of Reasons). When he didn\u2019t emerge, I had to depart for a dash to Carcassonne, a carsick powernap in the back seat, and eventual arrival in a sweltering press room.\u00a0<\/p>\n Weird day for the Frenchman. Julian Alaphilippe crashes, pops his shoulder back in, and finishes the race “blind” with no race radio \ud83d\ude35\u200d\ud83d\udcab\ud83d\ude05 #tdf2025<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83c\udfa5 ASO pic.twitter.com\/5MkRNqZ7T1<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Velo (@velovelovelo__) July 20, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n At some liminal point between those three things happening, Julian Alaphilippe got in the break (good) and then crashed (bad). On the replays you can see him sort of stumbling around for a bit before getting handed a new bike and getting back in the mix. It looked painful, as these kind of crashes do, but it was only in the aftermath \u2013 after he\u2019d won the sprint for third \u2013 that the extent of his injuries came out.\u00a0<\/p>\n Want to learn more? There’s more after the jump, but you’ll have to be a member to read it. Escape Collective is 100% membership-funded, with no advertising and no affiliate links in our product reviews. Our coverage \u2013\u00a0including stuff like this, from the Tour de France\u00a0\u2013 is only possible through your support. <\/p>\n Need another reason to join? Our Member Purchase program offers discounts of 20% or more from participating brands like Velocio, Ritchey, Hunt Wheels and more (we get no revenue from your purchases; this is purely a member benefit).<\/p>\n This post is for paying subscribers only Already have an account? Sign in<\/a><\/p>\n Did we do a good job with this story?<\/p>\n \n \ud83d\udc4dYep![\"Iain](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Iain-Treloar-150x150.jpg\")
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<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/corvos-tdf-2025-stage-15-wellens-2.jpg\")
Wellens, the real winner of the day.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Z8A_4876.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"CTA](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Z8D_6689-2-2.jpg\")
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