Cycling: Total Energies ready to invest in Alaphilippe!

This season, while the future of Julian Alaphilippe at Soudal-Quickstep was questioned for a time by the boss of the Belgian team Patrick Lefévère, the Total Energies team took a position. In vain because the Frenchman was still under contract and wanted to stay. However, a new offensive appears very likely next year. Here’s why…

A few months ago, while the future of Julian Alaphilippe within the team Soudal-Quickstep had been questioned by the boss of the Belgian team, Patrick Lefévèrewho had repeatedly pointed out the Frenchman’s lack of results in relation to his salary as a top rider in the world, the team Total Energies had thought of recruiting the French champion.

Cycling: This very encouraging sign for Alaphilippe! https://t.co/K0qa2GPQ8z pic.twitter.com/rROlq5lyUc

— le10sport (@le10sport) September 12, 2023

There was contact this year

As confirmed Jean-René Bernaudeau subsequently, contact was made between the two parties, but Alaphilippewho still has one year of contract with Soudal-Quickstep, indicated that he wanted to stay, which de facto blocked any possibility of leaving. However, the matter could become topical again next year, because on the company side Total Energieswe seem ready to invest to sign the double world champion.

“I said one day to Jean-René: ‘What if you were able to get Alaphilippe back for me?’”

Indeed, in the columns of The team, Patrick Pouyannéthe CEO of Total Energieswas very clear about his intentions, as he spoke of the company’s investment in bicycles: “ When I became the boss of the company, we were in F1. (…) I also found F1 quite elitist. I needed sports with more proximity. I was told about cycling because of the Tour de France. Then we bought Direct Energie and therefore we got a team back. On a stage in the Pyrenees, I met Jean-René Bernaudeau. I only asked him one thing: “No problem. Otherwise the next day, you will have lost your sponsor…” I was also very struck, while following the stage, by the number of people with our jerseys. Afterwards, can a leading company in France, and one of the biggest in the world in fact, afford not to win when it is winning in business? I said one day to Jean-René: ”What if you were able to get me Alaphilippe, a nice Frenchman, who has a reputation and a positive image? I would be ready to break the bank. Well, ultimately, Alaphilippe was very good where he was “. Words which augur a probable new offensive by the French team next season, while Julian Alaphilippe will be at the end of his contract, and de facto more open to offers from elsewhere, and in particular from France, the double world champion having indicated that he was entirely willing to one day sign for a French team.