Franck Alaphilippe, Julian’s uncle and coach, let go by Patrick Lefevere
Franck Alaphilippe, who served as a coach for Soudal Quick-Step since 2020, will no longer be part of the Wolfpack staff as of January 1, 2024. His contract has not been renewed, as reported by the French outlet Cyclism’Actu.
“I received confirmation of my non-renewal from the team boss, Patrick Lefevere, at the end of October or the beginning of November,” Franck Alaphilippe revealed. Apparently, the friction with the team’s boss contributed to his departure. “There was tension between Patrick Lefevere and Julian, which left my situation uncertain.”
Franck Alaphilippe integral to Julian’s success
Julian Alaphilippe has previously said that Franck Alaphilippe as “the one without whom the double world champion would never have had this career.” However, Lefevere has recently expressed dissatisfaction with the Frenchman’s results. After a disastrous 2022 season, full of crashes, the Belgian didn’t mince words. “In recent years he has not won much (two wins in 2022). Yes, he had a lot of bad luck, but it’s always the same ones who are lucky and the same ones who have bad luck,” he said. “Julian Alaphilippe has a champion’s salary, so he must confirm that he is still one. He owes me revenge.”
Franck wasn’t taken aback by the news. “I half expected it. There had already been a first alert with everything that happened around the merger between Jumbo-Visma and Soudal Quick-Step. Being at the end of my contract put me in a very delicate situation,” he said. “Then, once we learned that the merger was not going to happen, I wasn’t particularly serene, but I dared to believe it. After that, there was tension between Patrick Lefevere and Julian, which left my situation a bit uncertain, so I wasn’t too surprised.”
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It’s unclear if Julian’s uncle will continue to coach him, but Franck is hopeful. “I’m his coach until the end of December, and discussions are ongoing with the team and with Julian about the rest of the season. What is certain is that I will never let him down, so if the team gives him the opportunity to continue with me…I’ve already spoken to one of the team’s sporting directors, and he thinks the best solution for Julian is for me to continue coaching him. If the team gives him the opportunity to continue with me, I will.”
No regrets
Either way, he is grateful for having been part of the team. “It was an exceptional experience. Being fully integrated into the team allowed me to work with other coaches, to talk to them about their training methods. I was also able to follow other high-level runners. I had a very good experience,” he adds.
As for 2024, he attempted to explore opportunities with other teams, but due to the timing of learning about his non-renewal, it was challenging, as most other teams had already finalized their coaching staff. Nonetheless, he remains hopeful about returning to work as a staff member on a pro team.
