This marks the end of one of the most remarkable careers in French cycling in recent years. At 34, Julian Alaphilippe has decided to retire. The two-time world road race champion is ending his professional career with immediate effect, just weeks after competing in the 2026 Tour de France. The Frenchman will therefore not participate in any more races this season and is also foregoing the final year of his contract with Tudor Pro Cycling, which was initially set to run until the end of 2027.
The 2026 Tour de France will be his last race
Julian Alaphilippe will thus have worn a race number for the last time in the Tour de France. A particularly symbolic conclusion for a rider who has maintained a special relationship with the Grande Boucle for years. During the 2026 edition, the Frenchman had not rediscovered the form that had thrilled the public a few years earlier. His start to the season had already been disrupted by health problems and inconsistent form. In April, he notably abandoned the Amstel Gold Race and La Flèche Wallonne before withdrawing from Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Just a few months prior, however, Alaphilippe still expressed his desire to race and had built his 2026 program around the Ardennes Classics and the Tour de France. His decision therefore comes earlier than expected.
A final year of contract abandoned at Tudor
Having joined Tudor Pro Cycling in 2025 after more than a decade with Quick-Step, Julian Alaphilippe had signed a three-year contract with the Swiss team managed by Fabian Cancellara. He therefore still had the entire 2027 season to complete. The Frenchman ultimately chose not to fulfill this contract and immediately left the professional peloton. His time with Tudor was nonetheless marked by one last major success: his victory at the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec in 2025. That same year, he also finished 5th in the Tour de Suisse and secured a 3rd place on a stage of the Tour de France.
Two consecutive world titles
Julian Alaphilippe is leaving cycling with an exceptional record. The Frenchman reached the pinnacle of his career by winning the World Road Cycling Championships two years in a row. In 2020, in Imola, he secured his first rainbow jersey after a decisive attack in the finale. A year later, in Leuven, he retained his world title, becoming the first Frenchman to achieve such a double victory. These two triumphs have cemented Alaphilippe among the greats of recent French cycling history.
Six stage wins and 14 days in yellow on the Tour
The Tour de France will also remain inextricably linked to his career. Julian Alaphilippe won six stages and wore the yellow jersey for 14 days. The summer of 2019 remains his most memorable appearance in the Grande Boucle. After taking the yellow jersey on the third stage, he held off the general classification favorites for much of the race. He notably won the individual time trial in Pau and maintained his lead in the Tour until the Alps. He ultimately finished 5th overall and received the combativity award.
Milan-San Remo, La Flèche Wallonne and Strade Bianche are among his achievements.
Alaphilippe's success wasn't limited to the World Championships and the Tour de France. A punchy rider capable of winning on a wide variety of terrains, he has won some of the most prestigious races on the calendar. His victories include Milan-San Remo in 2019, Strade Bianche the same year, and three times La Flèche Wallonne (2018, 2019, and 2021). He also boasts wins at the Clásica de San Sebastián and several stages of major stage races. His often aggressive racing style made him one of the leading figures in French cycling for several seasons.
A professional career that began in 2013
Born on June 11, 1992, in Saint-Amand-Montrond, Julian Alaphilippe began his professional career in 2013. After starting out with Etixx-iHNed, he joined the Quick-Step main team in 2014. It was under the various names of this team that he built the bulk of his palmarès before joining Tudor in 2025. After more than thirteen years as a professional, two rainbow jerseys, six stage wins at the Tour de France, and several major classics, Julian Alaphilippe is definitively closing the chapter on his competitive career. At 34, one of the most popular French riders of his generation is leaving the peloton before the end of his contract.
